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THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 1994
THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER WHAT OUR ARGUMENT AND OUR POSITION IN THE ADMINISTRATION IS. OUR BOTTOM LINE IS TO DO WHATEVER IS IN THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG IN THE LONG TERM. I HOPE THAT WE CAN USUALLY DO THAT WITH THE UNDERSTANDING AND CO-OPERATION OF THE FUTURK SOVEREIGN POWER AND WITH THE UNDERSTANDING AND CO-OPERATION OF THIS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, BUT IF, FROM TIME TO TIME, WE FAIL TO BE ABLE TO SECURE EITHER OF THOSE OBJECTIVES BUT WE STILL BELIEVE THAT IT'S IN THE LONG TERM INTERESTS OF HONG KONG TO TAKE A PARTICULAR VIEW, THEN WE ARE RIGHT TO DO SO AND WE WOULD BE WRONG TO RETREAT, TO RESILE FROM THAT POSITION.
J WILL GO ON DEFENDING THE RIGHTS OF THIS COUNCIL AND I BELIEVE PASSIONATELY STRONGLY THAT THOSE RIGHTS ARE BEST SECURED IF THIS COUNCIL IS SEEN 10 BE CREDIBLY AND FAIRLY AND OPENLY ELECTED, WHICH IS WHY THE ADMINISTRATION WILL BE ARGUING WITH ALL THE FORCE
IT CAN COMMAND AT THE END OF THIS MONTH TO SECURE THE LEGISLATION WHICH WE'VE PUT BEFORE THE COUNCIL. AND I JUST SAY IN PARENTHESIS, I JUST SAY IN PARENTHESIS, THAT I THINK THOSE WHO BELIEVE THAT IF THAT LEGISLATION WAS SUBSTANTIALLY WATERED DOWN THAT SOMEHOW THE ARGUMENT WOULD GO AWAY, ARE KIDDING THEMSELVES. THE ARGUMENT WOULD CONTINUE IN GREATER FORCE RIGHT THE WAY DOWN TO 1997 AND ARGUABLY BEYOND. BUT CONCEIVABLY I DIGRESS.
1 WILL GO ON DEFENDING THE RIGHTS OF THIS COUNCIL TO VET PUBLIC EXPENDITURE, TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE VOTED MONEY TO MEET THE OBJECTIVES IT SETS FOR ITSELF.
I WILL ALSO GO ON DEFENDING THE RIGHT OF THIS COUNCIL TO VET AND MONITOR LEGISLATION. AND I NOTE, JUST IN PASSING, THAT LAST YEAR THIS COUNCIL PROPOSED THREE TIMES, THREE TIMES AS MANY AMENDMENTS TO BILLS AND SECURED THEM, AS HAPPENED A DECADE AGO.
BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD BE IN THE INTERESTS, EITHER IN THE LONG TERM OR TODAY, OF HONG KONG, FOR ME TO ABANDON THE RIGHT OF THE EXECUTIVE TO SECURE IT'S OWN REVENUE AND IT'S OWN RESOURCES AND THAT ISN'T A VERY CURIOUS POSITION FOR THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF A GOVERNMENT TO TAKE UP. IT WOULD BE TAKEN UP IF I WAS THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, WHICH I'M SELF-EVIDENTLY NOT, OR IF I WAS IN CHARGE OF ANY OTHER ADMINISTRATION. IT WOULD BE BAD FOR OUR ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT. IT WOULD LEAD TO IMPRUDENT PUBLIC FINANCING AND IT WOULD BE BAD FOR HONG KONG TODAY AND FOR THE FUTURE.
SO THERE IS NO DISJUNCTURE BETWEEN ARGUING ON THE ONE HAND, VERY STRONGLY. FOR THE RIGHTS OF THIS COUNCIL AS THEY'RE SET OUT IN OUR EXISTING CONSTITUTION AND AS THEY WILL BE SET OUT IN THE CONSTITUTION IN THE FUTURE. FOR ARGUING FOR THOSE RIGHTS AND FOR ARGUING THAT THIS COUNCIL SHOULD BE PROPERLY ELECTED. WHILE ON THE OTHER HAND ARGUING THAT THE RIGHTS OF THE EXECUTIVE HAVE TO BE NOTED AS WELL. BUT I HOPE THAT IN THE MEDIUM AND THE LONG TERM, THOUGH I GUESS THINGS MAY CHANGE THE CLOSER WE GET TO THE ELECTIONS, WE'LL HAVE LITTLE NEED FOR THE COUNCIL TO SHOW FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND CENSURE THE GOVERNOR OR ANY OF HIS COLLEAGUES IN THE ADMINISTRATION.
ON
THE HONOURABLE MEMBER THEN ASKS ME ABOUT PROPOSALS WHICH HAVE BERN CANVASSED ON HUMAN RIGHTS, ON A STATUTORY RIGHT OF INFORMATION AND OTHER MATTERS.
/I THINK