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Transcript of Governor's media session
The following is a transcript of the media session by the Governor, the Rt Hon Christopher Patten, after visiting the Marine Department this (Wednesday) afternoon:
Governor: I've really enjoyed meeting some of the staff of the Marine Department. It's at the cutting edge of what Hong Kong is all about, terrifically professional operation which helps to keep our port running as well as it does and I am delighted to see what they are doing to improve their management and improve the service they give to all our customers. Hong Kong's, as you know, the busiest container port in the world and that's partly thanks to the work of the Marine Department. So, I was pleased to see them today. Since there aren't any questions....
Question: The European Parliament approved a lump sum of $1.8 million for the setting up of a human rights centre in Hong Kong. What is your reaction to it?
Governor: I haven't seen any more than the announcement about the budget item approved by the European Parliament. I don't have anything to say about it.
Question: Now that the Democratic Party has lost a member in the Legislative Council, how would you gauge its support for you personally in the Legislative Council since they did support your constitutional package?
Governor: As you know, the Governmennt doesn't have a party and the Government has to work for its majority in the Legislative Council and that's in the nature of our system. The Legislative Council isn't, self-evidently isn't, a rubber stamp so the Executive has to work very hard, one vote after another, persuading a majority of legislators to support us. I think that helps to make Hong Kong's Government both more accountable and more confident and better. If you know that you're going to have to persuade legislators, then you'll have to think through very carefully what you are doing. Over the question of severance pay and long-term payments, we are plainly in the position now in which we've got to go back to the LAB which is also not a rubber stamp and put to them some new ideas which, we hope, will in due course satisfy the Legislative Council. Good government is a process of give-and- take between the Executive and the Legislature and that's what we are seeing in Hong Kong.
Question: Has the Government gauged the support for this bill before it went to the Council? Would you know..... if Lau Chin-shek incident in the past couple of days could have been avoided?