20
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1993
ON
THE GOVERNOR:
YES, I AGREE THAT THE ONUS SHOULD BE GOVERNMENT TO DEMONSTRATE THAT IT NEEDS TO KEEP SOME MATTERS AS SECRET OR CONFIDENTIAL RATHER THAN THE OTHER WAY ROUND. BUT THERE ARE MATTERS WHICH WE'RE OPENING UP TO PUBLIC SCRUTINY AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO SO. A NUMBER OF THE DECISIONS THAT WE HAVE TAKEN OVER THE LAST YEAR OR SO HAVE MADE PUBLIC, INFORMATION WHICH HAS HITHERTO ALWAYS BEEN PRIVATE, BEGINNING JUST OVER A YEAR AGO WITH THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY'S DECISION TO ANNOUNCE THE AMOUNT OF MONEY IN OUR EXCHANGE FUND.
MR SAMUEL WONG:
GOVERNOR, ON THE QUESTION OF LOCALISATION YOU'VE SAID A A SPECIAL MEASURES HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO DEAL WITH PARTICULAR SITUATIONS AND YOU GAVE AS EXAMPLES THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT AND THE LEGAL AID DEPARTMENT. MY QUESTION IS, ARE THERE OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN WHICH SPECIAL MEASURES SHOULD ALSO BE TAKEN TO SPEED UP LOCALISATION?
GOVERNOR:
YES, THERE ARE I THINK I AM RIGHT IN SAYING 53 DEPARTMENTS ALTOGETHER, AND WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT I AM LOOKING FOR RAISED EYEBROWS OR SHAKES OF THE HEAD WHICH MIGHT SUGGEST THAT I AM RIGHT OR WRONG THERE ARE JUST OVER FIFTY, I THINK THAT SHOULD COVER MOST EVENTUALITIES
DEPARTMENTS, AND I THINK IT'S GENERALLY RECOGNISED THAT THERE HAVE PROBABLY BEEN PROBLEMS IN SIX OR SEVEN. THERE ARE SOME DEPARTMENTS WHERE LOCALISATION IS VIRTUALLY COMPLETE. EDUCATION, HEALTH, INLAND REVENUE, IMMIGRATION - JUST TO NAME SOME FIRE SERVICES. THERE ARE OTHERS, IN ADDITION TO THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT AND I THINK THE HONOURABLE MEMBER HAS A PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE OF ONE OR TWO OF THOSE, WHERE ALMOST CERTAINLY, FOR REASONS OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, THERE HAVE BEEN PROBLEMS AS WELL AND WE NEED TO PURSUE THOSE PROBLEMS THROUGH SENSIBLE PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT. I HOPE IT'S AN ISSUE THAT WE CAN AVOID AS FAR AS POSSIBLE AND POLITICISING BECAUSE I DON'T THINK IT WILL MAKE IT ANY EASIER TO SORT IT OUT. I THINK THE ADMINISTRATION HAS TO DEMONSTRATE, NOT JUST TO THIS COUNCIL, NOT JUST TO I'TS OWN EMPLOYEES, BUT TO THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, ITS TOTAL COMMITMENT TO PURSUE LOCALISATION IN A SENSIBLE WAY. THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO DO YESTERDAY. THAT'S WHAT I WILL CONTINUE TO TRY TO DO AND I KNOW THAT THE EXISTING CHIEF SECRETARY THE CHIEF SECRETARY DESIGNATE, THE SECRETARY OF CIVIL SERVICE AT PRESENT AND THE SECRETARY OF CIVIL SERVANT-DESIGNATE ALL SHARE MY ENTHUSIASM ON THAT PARTICULAR POINT.
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MR TANO SIŲ TONG:
THANK YOU MR CHAIRMAN, MR GOVERNOR, IN YOUR POLICY ADDRESS YESTERDAY, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE PROGRESS IN JLG (JOINT LIAISON GROUP). YOU SAID THERE'S NOT MUCH PROGRESS ON ISSUES SUCH AS CT9 (CONTAINER TERMINAL 9), THE ACP (AIRPORT CORE PROGRAMME) AND THE VISAS. MR GOVERNOR, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE REASONS FOR THIS LACK OF PROGRESS? AND HOW WOULD YOU PROPOSE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM? ABOUT THE ISSUES TALKED ABOUT BY JLG SOME OF THEM RELATED TO PEOPLE'S LIVELIHOOD AND DO YOU THINK LIVELIHOOD ISSUES MORE IMPORTANT OR POLITICAL REFORMS?
ARE
/GOVERNOR: