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THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 1994
I THINK THE COUNCIL KNOWS THAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING THOSE ISSUES WITH A NUMBER OF HONOURABLE MEMBERS AND WE WILL BE EXPLAINING TO THIS COUNCIL IN DUE COURSE HOW WE BELIEVE THE ADMINISTRATION SHOULD RESPOND. THE COUNCIL ITSELF WILL HAVE. IF THERE'S LEGISLATION SUBSEQUENTLY, TO DECIDE HOW FAR IT WISHES TO GO. LET ME ТАКЕ THE QUESTION OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES LEGISLATION FOR EXAMPLE. THE GOVERNMENT INTENDS, THIS IS OUR CLEAR OBJECTIVE, TO LEGISLATE ON EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES THIS YEAR. IF THE COUNCIL DOESN'T THINK WE'RE GOING FAR ENOUGH THEN PRESUMABLY THE COUNCIL WILL AMEND THAT LEGISLATION AND TAKE IT FURTHER. THAT IS THE COUNCIL'S RIGHT CONSTITUTIONALLY BUT I HOPE THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO PERSUADE THE COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY THAT THE BALANCE WE'VE STRUCK IS THE RIGHT ONE AND THAT IS WHAT WE WILL BE, IN DUE COURSE, SEEKING TO DO.
SO
I REPEAT FOR THE HONOURABLE MEMBER, WHOSE QUESTION WAS IMPORTANT WHICH IS WHY I ANSWER IT AT SOME LENGTH, THAT WE RECOGNISE THE ROLE OF THIS COUNCIL, THE RIGHTS AND POWERS OF THIS COUNCIL, INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO CRITICISE THE GOVERNOR WHEN THIS COUNCIL WISHES THOUGH I HAPPEN NOT TO AGREE WITH THE ISSUE WHICH CAUSED THIS DEBATE. BUT WE ARE NOT AND I THINK IT WOULD BE WRONG TO DO SO, GOING TO RESILE FROM POSITIONS WHICH WE THINK ARE IN THE LONG TERM INTERESTS OF HONG KONG JUST TO AVOID A CENSURE IN THIS COUNCIL OR, IF I MAY SAY SO, JUST ΤΟ AVOID THE OCCASIONAL MILD ARGUMENT WITH THE FUTURE SOVEREIGN.
MR MARTIN LEE: A VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD FOLLOW-UP. WILL THE GOVERNMENT VIGOROUSLY DEFEND THIS COUNCIL IF THE OTHER BILL WERE TO BE PASSED ON 29TH JUNE, BY ASSENTING TO IT?
AT
GOVERNOR: I ASSUME BY 'THE OTHER BILL' AND I THINK I SHOULD USE CAPS IN REFERRING TO THAT, IS A REFERENCE TO THE BILL PROPOSED BY THE HONOURABLE MEMBER WHO SITS IN FRONT OF ME AND LOOKS RATHER BALEFULLY ME AS I TRY TO, BEAUTIFULLY BUT BALEFULLY, AS I TRY TO ANSWER THE QUESTION. I'VE NOTED WHAT'S BEEN SAID ABOUT SUPPORT FOR THE HONOURABLE MEMBER'S BILL AND I'VE NOTED THAT THERE IS ONE PARTY WHICH IS DEBATING CONCEIVABLY EVEN AS WE HAVE THIS EXCHANGE TODAY, WHETHER OR NOT IT SHOULD JOIN OTHERS IN SUPPORTING THE HONOURABLE MEMBER'S BILL. IT WOULD BE A GREAT TRIUMPH FOR THE ELOQUENCE OF THE HONOURABLE MEMBER IF SHE SECURED THAT PAW-LINE CONVERSION. I THINK THAT IF HONOURABLE MEMBER DOES SECURE THAT CONVERSION AND GETS A MAJORITY HER BILL, I WILL REPLY TO THE HONOURABLE MEMBER'S QUESTION BUT AS HE KNOWS, I HAVE AN ACTIVE DISTASTE FOR ANSWERING HYPOTHETICAL QUESTIONS, FINDING THE ONES THAT ARE NOT HYPOTHETICAL MUCH TOO DIFFICULT ANYWAY.
THE FOR
MR
SZETO WAB: MR GOVERNOR, A SIMPLE AND CONCRETE QUESTION FOR YOU. RECENTLY, 1 HAVE RECEIVED COMPLAINTS FROM PING SHEK ESTATE RESIDENTS. NOW,
PING SHEK ESTATE HAS A HISTORY OF 30 YEARS. RECENTLY, THEY ARE RRPLACING THE LIFTS AND THE WORK HAS BEEN DRAGGING ON FOR MANY MONTHS AND HAS CAUSED A LOT OF INCONVENIENCE. TODAY, I RANG UP THE SENIOR HOUSING MANAGER FOR PING SHEK ESTATE; I ASKED HIM WHY IT TOOK SO LONG AND HE TOLD ME THAT IT TOOK NINE MONTHS TO REPLACE ONE LIFT AND FOR EACH BLOCK THEY HAVE TO REPLACE TWO LIFTS. IN OTHER WORDS, THEY HAVE ΤΟ SPEND 18 MONTHS TO REPLACE THE TWO LIFTS. DO YOU THINK THAT SUCH INEFFICIENCY IS ACCEPTABLE? AND BY RAISING THE QUESTION WITH YOU TODAY, CAN YOU TRY TO IMPROVE UPON THE EFFICIENCY AFTER TODAY'S MEETING?
/GOVERNOR: