XN000022-1978-03-07 — Page 3

TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 1977

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+GREEN PAPERS, OF COURSE, CARRY GOVERNMENT PROPOSALS, BUT THEY ARE NOT FINAL PROPOSALS, HE EMPHASISED.

+AT ANY RATE, + MR. TOPLEY SAID, THE GOVERNMENT CANNOT BE ACCUSED OF NOT SAYING WHAT IT THINKS. WE HAVE BEEN STRAIGHTFORWARD. THE PUBLIC WOULD HAVE BEEN ILL-SERVED HAD WE MADE AN ARRANGEMENT BEHIND CLOSED DOORS WITH THE INTERESTED PARTIES BEFORE PRODUCING OUR CONSULTATIVE DOCUMENT. THE GREEN PAPER THEN WOULD HAVE REPRESENTED HARDLY ANY FRESH THINKING AT ALL ALTHOUGH WE WOULD HAVE HAD THE SUPPORT OF SOME IMPORTANT CLIENTS.

+ IT IS TO BE EXPECTED, MR. TOPLEY CONTINUED, THAT THOSE WHO ARE NOT SINGLED OUT FOR THE MORE FAVOURABLE KIND OF TREATMENT WILL BE AGGRIEVED AND WILL PROTEST. BUT THE FEAR OF PROTEST SHOULD SURELY NOT DETER THE GOVERNMENT FROM SURVEYING THE SCENE AND PUBLISHING ITS FINDINGS, TO DO LESS WOULD BE A DISSERVICE TO THE PUBLIC.+

MR. TOPLEY SAID: +WE ARE NOT YET NEAR THE END OF THE CONSULTATIVE PROCESS. THE IDEAS OF THOSE WHO HAVE WRITTEN IN HAVE STILL TO BE ANALYSED AND ASSESSED. MEETINGS ARE BEING HELD WITH THE VARIOUS BODIES CONCERNED, UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF

EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS ARE STUDYING THE VARIOUS ISSUES.+

IN DUE COURSE, A DRAFT WHITE PAPER MUST BE CONSIDERED BEFORE THE ACTUAL WHITE PAPER IS INTRODUCED TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

+THERE IS MUCK TO DO THIS YEAR. FINALLY, WE MUST MAKE OUR MINDS UP TO GET ON WITH THE WORK BECAUSE IT WOULD BE UNACCEPTABLE IF CONSULTATION, VERY GOOD IN ITSELF, BECAME THE ONLY END-PRODUCT OF GOVERNMENT THINKING, HE CONCLUDEĎ,

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