MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1993
2
OUGHT ΤΟ
GOVERNOR: LEGISLATORS SAY QUITE A LOT OF THINGS. SOME LEGISLATORS WERE SAYING LAST WEEK THAT SINCE THE BILL WASN'T CONTROVERSIAL, THEY SHOULD GET TO MOVE ON WITH IT. AND I THINK EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT WE GET THESE MEASURES ONTO THE STATUTE BOOK AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. WE'VE BY THE 23RD OF GOT TO COMPLETE THIS BILL BY THE END OF FEBRUARY, FEBRUARY,
PUTTING PUTTING OFF
PROPOSALS THAT BILL AND
IT THIS
HAS
TWO
IN ORDER TO HAVE THE TIME TO PUT IN PLACE OR START IN PLACE THE VOTERS' REGISTER IN APRIL. YOU CAN'T GO ON THINGS FOREVER. THE MOST UNCONTROVERSIAL OF ALL THE WE'VE PUT FORWARD WAS THE BOUNDARY AND ELECTION COMMISSION PEOPLE SAY THAT WON'T TAKE MUCH TIME IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. ACTUALLY TOOK FOUR AND A HALF MONTHS FOR US TO GET THAT THROUGH.
ISSUES, PARTICULAR BILL, WHILST IT DEALS WITH STRAIGHT-FORWARD ALREADY DRAWN QUITE A LOT OF COMMENTS FROM LEGISLATORS. AT LEAST
ONE GROUP OF GROUPS OF LEGISLATORS HAVE TALKED ABOUT AMENDING IT.
MOMENT ON THE LEGISLATORS HAVE SAID THEY ARE NOT VERY KEEN AT THE
MEMBERS PROPOSAL WE'VE PUT FORWARD AS A GESTURE OF GOODWILL, TO MAKE
OF STANDING ELIGIBLE
FOR DISTRICT OF THE PEOPLE'S CONGRESSES
то BE ORGANISATIONS AND FOR LEGCO. SO, ALL THOSE MATTERS ARE GOING DEBATED, ARE GOING TO BE CONSIDERED. AND I THINK PEOPLE WHO SAY THAT TEA, IT COULD ALL BE DONE IN 48 HOURS, IT COULD BE DONE OVER A CUP OF
PUSH THINGS ARE FRANKLY A LITTLE FAR FROM REALITY. WE DON'T WANT TO FASTER OR FURTHER THAN WE NEED TO BUT EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT THERE COMES IS THE CASE THIS A POINT WHEN WE'VE JUST GOT TO MOVE ON. AND THAT WEEK AS WAS LAST WEEK. JUST ONE OTHER POINT THAT I'D PUT BECAUSE I NOTICE IT'S BEEN DISCUSSED A BIT IN THE LAST FEW DAYS. THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN QUESTIONING THE ROLE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
UNDER COUNCIL
THE PRESENT THE FOR
RIGHT
THE LEGISLATIVE OF CONSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS, THE ROYAL INSTRUCTIONS AND LETTERS PATENT OF ADVISING AND IS ABSOLUTE CLEAR. IT'S THERE TO PERFORM THE ROLE GIVING CONSENT, BUT NOT JUST ADVISING, GIVING CONSENT AS WELL. SO THAT FOR EXAMPLE, IT GIVES CONSENT TO LEGISLATION. SO FOR EXAMPLE, IT GIVES
THE THEORETICALLY,
LEGISLATIVE CONSENT TO THE BUDGET EVERY YEAR. COUNCIL COULD VOTE DOWN THE BUDGET. AND THEN, ONE LOOKS TO THE AND SEES ABSOLUTELY CLEARLY THAT UNDER THE JOINT DECLARATION AND
DECLARATION, BASIC LAW, UNDER, FOR EXAMPLE, ARTICLE 55 OF THE JOINT UNDER ARTICLE 73 OF THE BASIC LAW, THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL HAS THE JOB IT'S THE OF AMENDING OR REPEALING OUR LAWS, OF WRITING OUR LAWS. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO WHICH WE ARE ACCOUNTABLE. SO THOSE WHO THAT LEGCO DOESN'T HAVE A ROLE, THOSE WHO PRETEND THAT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SHOULD JUST BE THERE FOR PROVIDING THE SORT OF OFFICIAL ON DECISIONS TAKEN BY THE EXECUTIVE HAVEN'T READ OR JOINT DECLARATION TO WHICH BOTH BRITAIN AND CHINA PUT HAVEN'T UNDERSTOOD THE BASIC LAW WHICH ARE OUR FUTURE CONSTITUTION.
FUTURE THE
PRETEND
CHOP UNDERSTOOD THE THEIR NAMES,
WILLING
AFTER IF YOU
TO WAIT
THESE ARE GOVERNOR, QUESTION: NEGOTIATIONS AND IF LEGCO ISN'T GOING TO GIVE IT A SHOT, WHY DON'T YOU JUST CALL IT AN END TO A WHOLE DAY AND BRING THE WHOLE BILL FORWARD?
IT
TRY
ONES
GOVERNOR: WELL, I SET OUT AT SOME LENGTH LAST WEEK WHY WE THOUGHT
THE FIRST OF ALL,
RELATIVELY TO PUT FORWARD, WAS SENSIBLE UNCONTROVERSIAL ISSUES. WE'VE DONE THAT IN GOOD FAITH IN ORDER TO TO GIVE OURSELVES MORE TIME FOR DEALING WITH THE CONTROVERSIAL AND I HOPE THAT RATHER THAN HEARING INACCURATE ACCOUNTS OF WHAT'S BEEN TO HAVE HAPPENING IN THE NEGOTIATIONS WHICH WE WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE SEEN MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN THEY HAVE BEEN, OR RATHER THAN LISTENING RATHER ABUSIVE REMARKS MADE ABOUT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN HONG KONG. I HOPE RATHER THAN THAT, WE'LL SOME CONSTRUCTIVE WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN MAKE WHAT REMAINS OF THE THE SUCCESS THAT WE ALL LIKE TO SEE. THANKS VERY MUCH.
TO
AND THE
HEAR
TALKS
-
/3