WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1994
QUESTION: SUN IMAGERY? THE PRESENT
OF THE MR PATTEN, ARE YOU INTERESTED IN YOUR IMAGE -
ΤΟ CAN YOU APPLY THAT THE SUN SETS AND THE SUN RISES.
DAY THAT SITUATION AND WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT IN THE LAST YOU LEAVE HONG KONG?
GOVERNOR:
I'LL
AND
-
I
TO THINK
ΤΟ ENSURE
ΤΟ
OF THE NEXT THE 1,000 1,000 THAT THERE ISN'T
WELL IT JUST SHOWS THE DANGER OF METAPHORS BECAUSE LEAVE HONG KONG AT MIDNIGHT WHICH IS USUALLY HALFWAY BETWEEN ONE THE OTHER. IT WAS A LITERARY FLOURISH TO TRY TO MAKE THE POINT PLEAD GUILTY THAT WHILE INEVITABLY I THINK IN TERMS
ALL 1,000 DAYS,
US OF
HAVE AND
TO TRY BEYOND
HAVE DISJUNCTURE BETWEEN THE ONE AND THE OTHER, HENCE THAT HAPPY METAPHOR.
THAT
QUESTION:
DAYS A
UNITED IS THERE ANY LINKAGE WITH THE METAPHOR WITH THE
CONNOTATIONS FROM KINGDOM AS THE SETTING SUN AND YOU'RE MAKING SOME THAT?
GOVERNOR:
NO.
THE UNITED KINGDOM IS ONLY, AS IT WERE, A SUN IN RELATION TO THE SOVEREIGNTY AND THE RESPONSIBILITY KONG. ELSEWHERE IT RISES AT PARTY CONFERENCES AND IN PLACES. I'M SURE THAT THOSE WHO ARE MEETING IN BLACKPOOL WOULD NOT LIKE TO THINK OF SUNSET.
SETTING FOR HONG
MANY OTHER THIS WEEK
QUESTION:
WELFARISM,
OR
WHAT
WHAT
DO
YOU THINK SOME COULD
ABOUT
CALL
BEIJING CAPITALISM
ATTACKING YOUR WITH SOCIALIST
CHARACTERISTICS?
GOVERNOR:
WELL,
-
KEEPING
LET ME THE A
-
THIS IS WHERE I'M SURE MY ADVISORS ARE THEIR FINGERS CROSSED THAT I GIVE YOU A VERY CAUTIOUS ANSWER
FACTS. GIVE YOU AN ANSWER WHICH SEEKS TO LEARN THE TRUTH FROM YEAR BEFORE THE JOINT DECLARATION WAS SIGNED PUBLIC EXPENDITURE AS PROPORTION OF GDP WAS HIGHER THAN ON OUR ESTIMATES IT WILL BE IN 1997. IF IT'S
So, IF THIS IS WELFARISM, IT'S PRETTY CAUTIOUS WELFARISM.
-
DO
BY
WE
KINDERGARTENS,
THE
SO
CENT LEFT
PRODUCED
LAW
OR
WELFARISM TO INCREASE PERSONAL TAX ALLOWANCES BY 56 PER CENT AND MARRIED TAX ALLOWANCE BY 56 PER CENT OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AS TO REDUCE THE PROPORTION OF PEOPLE PAYING TAX BY ABOUT 10 PER IF THAT'S WELFARISM, THEN IT WOULD SOUND PRETTY ODD TO ANYBODY
WHAT WE ARE ACTUALLY ABLE TO OF CENTRE IN ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD.
PRUDENTLY AND CAUTIOUSLY IS TO USE SOME OF THE RESOURCES A SUCCESSFUL, LOW TAX, MARKET ECONOMY IN HONG KONG TO ENSURE HAVE DECENT PUBLIC PROVISION - DECENT PROVISION FOR THE ELDERLY, DECENT PROVISION FOR THE DISADVANTAGED, DECENT PROVISION FOR THOSE WHO DECENT WERE DEPRIVED, DECENT PROVISION FOR KIDS IN
WE CAN DO PROVISIONS OR BETTER PROVISIONS FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT. THOSE THINGS BECAUSE, THANKS TO MARKET ECONOMICS AND THE RULE OF AND THE GOOD ADMINISTRATION, THIS ECONOMY HAS BEEN GROWING AT FIVE
WHILE SIX
WE CAN DO THOSE THINGS
STILL PER CENT FOR THREE DECADES.
THE LATEST ESTIMATE IS THAT HAVING SURPLUSES IN OUR PUBLIC FINANCES. THE SURPLUS THIS YEAR WILL BE JUST UNDER $8 BILLION AND WE CAN DO THESE THINGS, KEEPING THE RATE OF GROWTH OF PUBLIC SPENDING BELOW
I DON'T THINK TREND RATE OF GROWTH OF THE ECONOMY AS A WHOLE AND HONESTLY, THAT I REGARD THAT AS A GROTESQUE EXAMPLE OF FAILED ECONOMICS, THERE ARE QUITE A FEW ADVANCED ECONOMIES AROUND THE WHICH WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE, YEAR AFTER YEAR, TO PROVIDE BETTER THOSE IN NEED WHILE CUTTING TAXES AND INCREASING SURPLUSES. WHAT HONG KONG IS ABLE TO DO AND, IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO COME SEE EXACTLY HOW WE DO IT, THE HARDWORKING MEN AND WOMEN OF HONG WILL BE DELIGHTED TO SHOW THEM. THAT WAS THE CAUTIOUS ANSWER..
ALL THE
WELFARE WORLD
FOR THAT'S
AND
KONG
/QUESTION: