THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1994
ONE
MR JIMMY MCGREGOR (FOLLOW UP): SIR, COULD I HAVE JUST CLARIFICATION? DOES THAT MEAN THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IS TAKING A PROACTIVE POSITION WITH REGARD TO THE PWC IN THE OFFERING OF INFORMATION? ARE YOU INVITING, IN OTHER WORDS, THE PWC TO SEEK INFORMATION WHICH YOU WILL TRY TO PROVIDE? OR ARE YOU TAKING A REACTIVE POSITION WHERE YOU WAIT FOR THE PWC? BECAUSE THERE IS A MATTER OF, IF YOU LIKE, A CERTAIN DEGREE OF 'FACE' INVOLVED HERE AND IN ORDER TO GET DIALOGUE GOING, IF DIALOGUE IS NECESSARY, THEN PERHAPS IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WHICH AFTER ALL IS HOLDING THE INFORMATION REQUIRED AND THE EXPERIENCE WHICH CAN BE PROVIDED IF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WERE TO TAKE A MORE PROACTIVE POSITION.
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GOVERNOR:
I'VE LEARNT MORE AND MORE ABOUT 'FACE' THE LONGER I HAVE BEEN GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG, THOUGH THE HONOURABLE MEMBER KNOWS THAT IT IS NOT SOMETHING WHICH PARTICULARLY BOTHERS ME, NOT WE ARE AS PROACTIVE IN RELATION TO THIS AS
LEAST GIVEN MY BACKGROUND.
WE ARE TO ANYTHING OR TO EVERYTHING ELSE. I SAY ONCE AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON THAT IF PWC MEMBERS WANT TO BE THOROUGHLY BRIEFED ON THE AIRPORT OR OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, WE'D BE HAPPY TO BRIEF THEM. IF THEY WISH TO BE BRIEFED ON THE RAILWAY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OR RELATED CAPITAL INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR HONG KONG, WE WILL BE DELIGHTED TO BRIEF THEM. IF THEY WISH TO BE BRIEFED ABOUT THE LOCALISATION AND ADAPTATION OF LAWS, IF THEY WISHED TO BE BRIEFED ABOUT OUR BUDGET, THE WAY WE MANAGE HONG KONG'S FINANCES, WE WILL
BE DELIGHTED то BRIEF THEM. WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO HIDE AND A GREAT DEAL TO BE PROUD ABOUT IN THE WAY THAT WE HAVE MANAGED HONG KONG'S AFFAIRS, SO WE WILL BE DELIGHTED TO HAND OVER THOSE RECIPES.
BUT
I DON'T THINK, TO REPEAT WHAT I HAVE SAID
BEFORE, THAT IT WOULD BE RIGHT FOR US TO SEND CIVIL SERVANTS OFF ΤΟ MEETINGS IN PEKING OR WHATEVER, FORMAL MEETINGS OF THE PWC, AS THOUGH THE PWC WAS AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP OR THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO WHICH THE EXECUTIVE IN HONG KONG IS ACCOUNTABLE TODAY AND WILL BE ACCOUNTABLE UNDER THE BASIC LAW.
CHEUNG MAN-KWONG: MR GOVERNOR, YESTERDAY, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SUBMITTED THE COURT OF FINAL APPEAL BILL TO THE LAW SOCIETY AND THE BAR ASSOCIATION FOR CONSULTATION. I'VE LEARNT THAT FROM THE PRESS. BUT THE LEGISLATURE IN HONG KONG, WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR FORMULATING LAWS AND ALSO THE HONG KONG PUBLIC ARE STILL KEPT IN THE DARK AND WE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE CFA BILL. MR GOVERNOR, IF THIS IS A CONFIDENTIAL PAPER WHY IS THAT THE TWO LAW BODIES CAN KNOW THAT BEFORE HAND? IF THIS IS A CONSULTATION PAPER, WHY SHOULD THAT LEGCO WHICH REPRESENTS THE PUBLIC IS NOT CONSULTED? WHY IS THAT YOU HAVE DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT? IS IT AN OPEN APPROACH, IS IT THE APPROACH OF A GOVERNMENT WHO SAYS THERE IS NO HIDDEN AGENDA?
GOVERNOR: IF THE DEBATE AND THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE COURT OF FINAL APPEAL IS TAKING PLACE IN THE DARK, IT'S THE SORT OF DARK THEY HAVE AT MIDNIGHT IN LAPLAND. I DON'T THINK THERE IS ANY GREAT SECRET AND CERTAINLY NO HIDDEN AGENDA IN WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING OR WHAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED. IN HONG KONG, WE HAVE QUITE ENOUGH ON OUR OPEN AGENDA WITHOUT HAVING HIDDEN ONES AS WELL. BUT WE'VE BEEN PROCEEDING NOT SECRETIVELY AND I REPEAT THAT IF THIS IS A SECRET, A HELL OF A LOT OF PEOPLE SEEM TO KNOW ABOUT IT, BUT WE HAVE BEEN PROCEEDING IN THE THAT WE REGULARLY PROCEED.
WAY
/WHEN WE