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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1993
QUESTION (THROUGH INTERPRETER);
MR GOVERNOR YOU HAVE TALKED A LOT OF ABOUT THE PROTECTION OF CONSUMER RIGHTS BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF UNSCRUPULOUS MERCHANTS WHO CHEATED ON WEIGHTS BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T HAVE A SCALE AT HOME. I HAVE A SCALE AT HOME, I KNOW A LOT OF THESE TRICKS AND I HAVE REPORTED THESE KINDS OF FRAUDS AND CHEATINGS TO THE CUSTOMS. BUT THERE IS NO ORDINANCE AND THERE IS NOTHING ΤΟ COMBAT THIS SERIOUSLY.
GOVERNOR:
THE CHAIRMAN OF THE CONSUMER COUNCIL IS GOING ΤΟ BE VERY BUSY. HE IS A VERY GOOD MAN, PROFESSOR CHEN, AND I WILL TAKE UP THAT POINT WITH HIM AND, IF YOU GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS, WE WILL GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU AND TELL YOU WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO. BUT I AM VERY PLEASED THAT WE WON'T HAVE TO COME AROUND AND CHECK YOUR SCALES.
QUESTION:
MR
GOVERNOR, I AM VERY IMPRESSED BY YOUR ELOQUENCE, YOUR HIGH LEVEL OF ENERGY AND YOUR SENSE OF HUMOUR. BEING A CANADIAN CITIZEN I BRING GREETINGS TO YOU AND THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG FROM CANADA. I AGREE WITH YOU YOUR PROGRESSIVE MEASURES REGARDING EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION BUT I HAVE TWO CONCERNS. EVEN EDUCATORS IN CANADA ARE ALSO AWARE OF THE FACT THAT THERE'S A HIGH RATE OF SUICIDE AMONG EVEN THE YOUNG SCHOOL CHILDREN IN HONG KONG AS WELL AS THE CRIME: THERE MAY BE SOME CRIMES AMONG SCHOOLS. HOW ARE YOU GOING TO HANDLE ALL THESE TWO ISSUES? AND 1 HOPE YOU WILL VISIT CANADA AGAIN, PARTICULARLY ONTARIO NEXT TIME. THANK YOU.
GOVERNOR:
FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, THROUGH YOU, THAT WE ALL KNOW IN HONG KONG THAT CANADA IS ONE OF OUR BEST FRIENDS IN THE WORLD. MANY PEOPLE IN HONG KONG KNOW THAT VERY DIRECTLY BOTH RESULT OF THE GREAT FESTIVAL WHICH CANADA HELD HERE A COUPLE OF AGO AND BECAUSE THEY'VE HAD AS ENJOYABLE A TRIP TO CANADA AS I FEW MONTHS BACK.
AS A YEARS
HAD A
YOU RAISED A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE
SUICIDES AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE. I THINK THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS WE HAVE TO DO AND, OF COURSE, AT THE CENTRE OF DEALING WITH THE PROBLEM IS THE PROVISION OF ENOUGH TEACHERS AND ENOUGH SOCIAL WORKERS AND WE ARE INCREASING THE NUMBERS OF BOTH.
WE MADE COMMITMENTS ON BOTH THOSE ISSUES IN MY
WHICH
WE'VE
WHERE
SPEECH LAST YEAR. IN THE BACK OF THE SPEECH THERE IS A SECTION SHOWS WHERE WE'VE GOT WITH ALL THOSE PLEDGES. THE ONES THAT MANAGED TO ACHIEVE WHICH ARE MOST OF THEM SO FAR, AND THE AREAS WE'VE FAILED AS WELL, BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW WHERE WE ARE NOT DOING AS WELL AS WE'D LIKE SO THAT WE CAN IMPROVE OUR PERFORMANCE. BUT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WHILE WE ENCOURAGE OUR CHILDREN AT SCHOOL TO WORK AS HARD AS POSSIBLE, TO DO THEIR BEST, WE SHOULDN'T PUT SO MUCH PRESSURE ON THEM AS MAY LEAD SOME OF THEM ΤΟ THESE TERRIBLE ACTS OF SELF-DESTRUCTION,
SHORT.
NOW, WE HAVE LITERALLY TIME FOR ONE QUESTION, IF IT'S EXTREMELY
/QUESTION
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