WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1993
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CS DISAPPOINTED BY LEGISLATORS' SPEECHES
THE CHIEF SECRETARY,
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SIR DAVID FORD, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) THAT HE WAS DISAPPOINTED AFTER HEARING SPEECHES BY LEGISLATORS ON THE GOVERNOR'S ANNUAL ADDRESS.
"I AM SAD TO SAY THAT THE OVERALL IMPRESSION WE HAVE AFTER LISTENING TO MEMBERS SPEECHES IS ONE OF DISAPPOINTMENT.
"DISAPPOINTMENT WITH THE VERY NEGATIVE, DOWN BEAT, TONE OF MANY OF THE SPEECHES.
"DISAPPOINTMENT WITH THE LACK OF CONSTRUCTIVE SUGGESTIONS.
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"DISAPPOINTMENT ABOVE ALL WITH THE PESSIMISTIC VIEW OF HONG KONG WHICH MEMBERS SEEMED TO HOLD ON SO MANY ASPECTS OF LIFE HERE, SIR DAVID SAID IN THE DEBATE ON THE MOTION OF THANKS ON THE GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS.
HE ADDED THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT, HAVING LISTENED TO THE DEBATE, TO RECOGNISE THE PICTURE OF HONG KONG PAINTED BY MEMBERS.
HE SAID THE VERY NEGATIVE VIEWS PUT FORWARD BY MEMBERS WERE NOT GENERALLY SHARED BY THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
"BUT SURELY IN ANY DEBATE SUCH AS THIS WE OWE IT TO THE COMMUNITY TO ASSESS PROGRESS IN THE ROUND, TO RECOGNISE SUCCESSES AS WELL AS SHORTCOMINGS, TO PRESENT A CONSIDERED BALANCED JUDGEMENT ON THE ISSUES OF THE DAY AND NOT JUST INDULGE IN PARTY POLITICAL POINT SCORING.
SIR DAVID SAID THE GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS LAID OUT IN VERY CLEAR AND PRECISE TERMS PLANS TO BUILD ON HONG KONG'S SUCCESS.
CERTAINLY HE DID NOT DWELL ON THE SUCCESSES OF THE PAST.
"IT WAS A SPEECH WHICH SPELT OUT THE ACTION FOR OUR VISION OF THE FUTURE. A FUTURE WHICH STRETCHES WELL BEYOND 1997, HE SAID.
"50 A VISITOR FROM OUTER SPACE DESCENDING ON CENTRAL LAST THURSDAY MORNING, SCANNING THE MARVEL OF THIS METROPOLIS, AND READING A HEADLINE WHICH ACCUSED THE GOVERNOR OF THROWING A HANDFUL OF CRUMBS TO A FLOCK OF PIGEONS' MUST HAVE WONDERED WHAT TO MAKE IT ALL.
KIND,
H
"I DARE SAY HE REGARDED IT AS A CLOSE ENCOUNTER OF A CURIOUS SIR DAVID SAID.
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ECONOMY IS HK'S FIRST PRIORITY: CS
THE CHIEF SECRETARY, THE HON SIR DAVID FORD, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY) IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THAT HONG KONG MADE NO APOLOGY FOR MAKING THE ECONOMY ITS FIRST PRIORITY.
POLICY
IN HIS REPONSE TO MEMBERS' QUERIES ON THE GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS, SIR DAVID NOTED THAT A STRONG ECONOMY MEANS STRONG GOVERNMENT FINANCES.
/"IT MEANS