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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1994
SOME MEMBERS COMPLAINED THAT THERE IS NO REAL PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE EXECUTIVE AND THE LEGISLATURE. DR CH LEONG SAID THAT THERE WAS NO MACHINERY TO IMPROVE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO, AND SUGGESTED AS ONE REMEDY CROSS-MEMBERSHIP BETWEEN THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS, A VIEW SHARED BY MS ANNA WU. I AM SURE THAT HON MEMBERS WILL RECALL THAT THE GOVERNOR SPELT OUT IN HIS 1992 POLICY ADDRESS WHY HE HAD DECIDED THAT COMMON MEMBERSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO COUNCILS WOULD BE WRONG AT THAT TIME. HE HAS SINCE MADE IT CLEAR THAT HE WILL REVIEW THE SITUATION NEXT YEAR. IN HIS 1992 ADDRESS, HE ALSO SUGGESTED THAT ANY CONSEQUENT COMMUNICATION GAP COULD BE FILLED BY THE CREATION OF A GOVERNMENT-LEGCO COMMITTEE. HOWEVER,
HOWEVER, MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL DID NOT ACCEPT THAT IDEA. IT IS STILL ON THE TABLE JF YOU SHOULD CHANGE YOUR MINDS. BUT EVEN WITHOUT THAT, SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HAVE MADE, AND CONTINUE TO MAKE, CONSIDERABLE EFFORTS TO DISCUSS ISSUES WITH MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL AND TO SEEK THEIR VIEWS ON GOVERNMENT PROPOSALS. WE WOULD LIKE ΤΟ SEE A MORE PRODUCTIVE PARTNERSHIP. WE SEE NO BENEFIT IN DISHARMONY AND DISPUTE. BUT A SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP REQUIRES EFFORTS FROM BOTH SIDES. IT MEANS COOPERATION, NOT TRYING TO SCORE POINTS OFF EACH OTHER, IF ANY MEMBER OF THIS COUNCIL HAS SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS FOR WAYS OF IMPROVING OUR RELATIONSHIP, I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT WE ARE ALWAYS HAPPY ΤΟ CONSIDER
THEM.
MS ANNA WU MADE A NUMBER OF PROPOSALS IN THIS AREA, AS WELL AS A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS. I CANNOT REALLY BELIEVE THAT SHE THINKS THAT THIS COUNCIL IS A RUBBER STAMP, NOR THAT PRIVATE MEMBERS BILLS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THE CONSTITUTIONAL REMEDY TO EXECUTIVE INERTIA AND UNRESPONSIVENESS. BUT EVEN IF SHE DOES, I CAN ASSURE HER THAT HER BILLS HAVE RESULTED IN A GREAT DEAL OF ACTIVITY AND RESPONSIVENESS IN THE ADMINISTRATION. MY OWN VIEW OF PRIVATE MEMBERS BILLS IS VERY DIFFERENT. I BELIEVE THAT IT IS THE JOB OF THE ADMINISTRATION, THE EXECUTIVE, TO PUT FORWARD PROPOSALS FOR LEGISLATION ON PUBLIC ISSUES. THIS IS BY NO MEANS A UNIQUE INTERPRETATION. INDEED, DESPITE THE IMPRESSION GIVEN BY SEVERAL HON MEMBERS, HONG KONG IS UNUSUAL IN THE LACK OF LIMITS THAT WE PLACE ON THE INTRODUCTION OF PRIVATE MEMBERS AT BILLS. IN THE UK, FOR EXAMPLE, THESE BILLS MAY BE INTRODUCED ONLY SPECIFIED TIMES, AND EVEN THEN THEY CAN BE PREVENTED FROM PROCEEDING BY A SINGLE VOTE BEING CAST AGAINST THEM.
THE ADMINISTRATION TAKES GREAT CARE OVER THE DEVELOPMENT OF POLICY AND THE PREPARATION OF LEGISLATION TO SUPPORT IT. APART FROM THE DIVERSION OF TIME AND RESOURCES NECESSARY TO STUDY PRIVATE MEMBERS' BILLS, WE RUN THE CONSIDERABLE RISK OF SERIOUS DISTORTIONS TO A BALANCED LEGISLATIVE PROGRAMME WHICH, IN TURN, DISTURBS CAREFULLY THOUGHT OUT PRIORITIES AND CALCULATIONS AS ΤΟ THE RESOURCES.
ALLOCATION
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/MS WU