-
1.
Transcript of the Governor's press conference
Following is the transcript of the Governor, the Rt Hon Christopher Patten's press conference held after his Policy Address to the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Question: Governor Patten, you say in your speech you are committed to co-operation with the Chief Executive designate but in that end how much access to confidential information are you willing to provide?
:
Governor: Those are the sort of matters which I will want to talk to the Chief Executive (Designate) about but it is perfectly clear that the Chief Executive (Designate) will need access to a great deal of confidential information and will want to be able to look at files and get information on matters which are pretty confidential. So, since it will only be a matter of months until the Chief Executive (Designate) takes over as Chief Executive, it seems to me perfectly clear that one will want to have a very open relationship with the Chief Executive (Designate) and make sure that she or he knows everything that is going on.
Question: (Metro Plus News) Governor Patten, you say we have the first fully elected LegCo as a result of your reforms but you told Members that you will have no hesitation in using your veto if you decide that it is in Hong Kong's interest, i.e. going against the democratic will if you want. It sounds a bit as if you want your cake and to eat it, or perhaps as if there is a bit of hypocrisy in your democratic reforms.
Governor: No, it's a description of the Hong Kong Constitution.
-
Question: (SCMP) I just want to clarify that when you talk about vetoing members' bills - and you have said that you would have no hesitation in doing so, if necessary you are not just talking about bills that might affect Sino-British agreements, you are talking about bills on any subject, is that correct?
Governor: That is indeed correct but I'm just trying to find a way of reaffirming what I actually said in my speech, that I'm sure that we will be able to find ways of co- operating with the Legislative Council. And I don't intend to spend my next weeks and months having sleepless nights that we're going to be operating on the furthest margins of Hong Kong's Constitution, I'm sure we will be able to operate within the mainstream of co-operation with the Legislative Council.