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لغة
TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 1994
LET ME
SAY EXACTLY WHY. FIRST OF ALL, THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEHAVED OVER THE AMENDMENTS TO THE ROYAL INSTRUCTIONS AND LETTERS PATENT OVER THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION IN VIRTUALLY EXACTLY THE SAME WAY THAT IT HAS BEHAVED OVER PREVIOUS CHANGES TO OUR CONSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS, JUST AS OVER THE CHANGES THAT HAD TO BE MADE FOR THE 1991 ELECTIONS OR THE CHANGES THAT HAD TO BE MADE FOR MY DECISION STAND DOWN AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. WE ANNOUNCED THE POLICY AND THEN WE TOOK THE ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES THAT WERE NEEDED IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT IT, CONDITIONAL UPON OTHER THINGS BEING DONE.
TO
SECONDLY, WHERE'S THE SECRET IN ALL THIS? WHAT IS THE THING THAT'S BERN DONE SECRETIVELY ? NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE SECRETIVELY. THE POLICY WAS ANNOUNCED AND WE THEN TOOK THE MEASURES TO IMPLEMENT IT. EVERYBODY KNOWS. EVERYBODY'S KNOWN SINCE THE AUTUMN OF 1992 THAT IT'S BEEN THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY TO HAVE, PROVIDED WE CAN GET THE NECESSARY LEGISLATION TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO HAVE A LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN 1995 WHICH HAS 20 DIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS, 30 ELECTED BY FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES AND 10 BY ELECTION COMMITTEE.
So,
NO SECRET
HAS BEEN INVOLVED AT ALL. THIRDLY, WHY WAS IT DONE SO EARLY ? WE SET OUT ON THIS COURSE OF ACTION WHEN THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AGREED TO IT ON FEBRUARY 2 LAST YEAR. WE THEN WENT TO LONDON AND TO THE PRIVY COUNCIL IN APRIL. WE DID IT THAT EARLY FOR TWO REASONS. FIRST OF ALL, BECAUSE OUR LEGAL ADVICE AT THAT STAGE WAS BEFORE WE INTRODUCED A BILL FOR THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, WE HAD TO HAVE CHANGED THE ROYAL INSTRUCTIONS AND LETTERS PATENT, OTHERWISE THE SUGGESTION WAS IT MIGHT BE ULTRA VIRES. SO WE TOOK THAT ACTION AT A TIME YOU WILL RECALL WHEN WE WEREN'T ALAS HAVING TALKS WITH CHINESE SIDE AND WHEN WE HAD SET OURSELVES THE TARGET OF TRYING TO GET OUR LEGISLATION THROUGH BY JULY 1993. SUBSEQUENTLY, AFTER DISCUSSIONS WITH THE LEGAL ADVISER TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, WE'VE REACHED THE CONCLUSION THAT WE DON'T ACTUALLY NEED A CHANGE TO THE ROYAL INSTRUCTIONS AND LETTERS PATENT UNTIL WE'VE ACTUALLY GOT LEGISLATION THROUGH. BUT BEFORE I ACTUALLY SIGN THE BILL, WE WOULD NEED TO HAVE THE GAZETTING WHICH IS THE PUBLICATION, THE PUBLIC ACT, THE GAZETTING OF A CHANGE TO THE ROYAL INSTRUCTIONS AND LETTER'S PATENT, SO THAT THE BILL COULD THEN BE BROUGHT INTO LINE WITH OUR CONSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS AND VICE VERSA.
SO, ONE, WE'VE ACTED AS WE HAVE IN THE PAST. NOTHING SECRET DONE. THREE, THE TIMING HAS BEEN REASONS I'VE SET OUT.
TWO, THERE'S BEEN FOLLOWED FOR THE
/ONE OTHER