5
TUESDAY, JANUARY 18, 1994
ON
QUESTION: MR PATTEN, CAN YOU FURTHER ELABORATE THE TIME CONSTRAINT THE SECOND PART OF LEGISLATION BECAUSE YOU HAVE JUST SAID THAT TILL THE MOMENT THAT YOU HAVE TO DISCHARGE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF TABLING THE BILL, IS IT THAT YOU HAVE TO DO THAT IN PARALLEL OR STEP-BY-STEP?
AS
GOVERNOR: I THINK IT'S UNLIKELY THAT WE WOULD WANT TO GO AHEAD WITH THE LAST STAGE OF LEGISLATION WHILE THE PRESENT BILL IS IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. I THINK IDEALLY WE'D WANT TO SEE THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL DEAL WITH THAT BILL FIRST AND THEN MOVE ON TO NEXT ONE BUT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED THIS BILL IN ORDER TO GET ON WITH DRAWING UP REGISTER OF VOTERS IN THE SPRING, IN APRIL. BUT I WANT TO PROCEED A SENSIBLE WAY, TAKING ONE STEP AT A TIME, I THINK THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WILL APPRECIATE THAT AND I THINK THE COMMUNITY WILL UNDERSTAND THAT.
THE IN
QUESTION: GOVERNOR, THAT MEANS THAT IS THERE ANY DEADLOCK IN THE FIRST PART OF THE LEGISLATION, THERE WON'T COME THE SECOND PART TO BE TABLED TO LEGCO?
GOVERNOR: NO I DIDN'T SAY THAT. I SAID IT WAS UNLIKELY THAT WE WOULD PROCEED WITH THE LAST STAGE OF THE LEGISLATION BEFORE WE COMPLETED THIS STAGE OF THE LEGISLATION. THAT'S ON THE ASSUMPTION OF COURSE THAT WE MAKE THE SORT OF PROGRESS WITH THIS STAGE OF THE LEGISLATION WHICH I THINK THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ITSELF EXPECTS.
QUESTION: IN
TERMS OF CRIME, YESTERDAY THE HEAD OF ICAC AFTER 1993 CORRUPTION HAD INCREASED BY 44%
SAID
THAT
·
GOVERNOR: I THINK HE SAID REPORTED CASES OF CORRUPTION.
REPORTED
QUESTION:
CASES OF CORRUPTION HAD INCREASED BY OBVIOUSLY SHOWED, AND HE ALSO SAID THAT IT HAD A LARGE PART TO DO WITH WHAT ARE BUSINESS THAT WAS COMING OVER IN CHINA AND INTO HONG KONG. YOU GOING TO DO TO TRY TO CURB THAT? I UNDERSTAND THAT VIOLENT CRIME RUN- IS DOWN BUT CORRUPTION IS THE MAJOR FEAR THAT PEOPLE HAVE IN THE UP TO 1997.
44%,
WHICH
IN
I
I
DOOR, OR A
GOVERNOR: CORRUPTION IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND JUST AS MANY CHINESE OFFICIALS HAVE SAID THAT IT IS A THREAT TO CHINA'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PROSPERITY, SO IT'S A THREAT TO OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PROSPERITY AND WE HAVE A JOINT INTEREST WITH CHINA STAMPING IT OUT AND DEALING WITH IT RIGOROUSLY AND RUTHLESSLY. DON'T THINK THAT YOU CAN EVER TOLERATE A LITTLE BIT OF CORRUPTION. THINK THAT IF YOU ALLOW CORRUPTION TO COME SEEPING IN UNDER THE IT VERY SOON STARTS TO DESTROY THE FOUNDATIONS OF A COMMUNITY
WE'RE SOCIETY.
PROPOSING TO TAKE A SUBSTANTIAL INITIATIVE, KNOW,
COUNCIL, WHICH I ANNOUNCED IN MY SPEECH TO THE LEGISLATIVE TRYING TO COMBAT CORRUPTION IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, IN BUSINESS. GOT A CONFERENCE IN THE EARLY SPRING ON THAT ISSUE WHICH ADDRESSING, SETTING OUT SOME OF MY VIEWS AND THOUGHTS ON THAT. IS AN AREA WHERE THE ICAC WANTS TO TAKE A BIGGER INITIATIVE AND ΤΟ SEE
MUCH ITSELF WORKING
MORE COMPREHENSIVELY WITH
THEM AND INDIVIDUAL FIRMS, NOT LEAST THROUGH
ORGANISATIONS
CODES OF PRACTICE.
AS
YOU ON
WE'VE
I'LL BE
BUT IT WANTS TRADE
ADAPTING
/QUESTION: