WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 1981
RENT BILL PASSED
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THE LANDLORD AND TENANT (CONSOLIDATION)(AMENDMENT) BILL COMPLETED ITS PASSAGE THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY, DESPITE OPPOSITION FROM SEVERAL UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS.
NINE UNOFFICIALS SPOKE DURING THE RESUMED DEBATE.
SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL, THE SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER THE HON OSWALD CHEUNG, SAID THE COMMITTEE OF REVIEW ON THE LANDLORD AND TENANT (CONSOLIDATION) ORDINANCE RECOGNISED THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS WHICH WOULD PLEASE ALL SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY.
HE SAID: THEY MADE A JUDGMENT AS TO WHAT WAS GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
+NO REPRESENTATION OR SUGGESTION WENT BY DEFAULT. +
MR CHEUNG POINTED OUT THAT THE COMMITTEE, APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNMENT TO LOOK INTO ALL ASPECTS OF CONTROL OF RENTS AND SECURITY OF TENURE 18 MONTHS AGO, CONSISTED OF PERSONS WHO HAD NO BIAS ONE WAY OR THE OTHER+.
HE SAID MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE RECEIVED AN ENCOURAGING RESPONSE FROM A WIDE SPECTRUM OF THE COMMUNITY AND FORMED THREE SUB-GROUPS TO INTERVIEW ORGANISATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS WHO PUT FORWARD INTERESTING IDEAS AND SPECIFIC PROPOSALS.
THEY ALSO STUDIED A WIDE RANGE OF SUBJECTS TO GET THE NECESSARY BACKGROUND INFORMATION.
+HAVING CONSIDERED ALL THE REPRESENTATIONS AND SIFTED THE FACTS, THEY HAVE PRODUCED A REPORT WHICH WAS THOROUGH, AND, IN MY JUDGMENT, IMPARTIAL.
+THE ADMINISTRATION IN PUTTING FORWARD THIS BILL HAS SELECTED TO IMPLEMENT ONLY THOSE OF THE COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATIONS WHICH ARE FEASIBLE AND NOT UNDULY DISRUPTIVE,+ MR CHEUNG SAID.
THE REV PATRICK MCGOVERN, ARGUING AGAINST THE BILL, SAID THE SITUATION IN HOUSING WHICH IN JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1980 PROMPTED THE GOVERNMENT TO CONTROL ALL DOMESTIC RENT INCREASES WAS STILL THE SAME TODAY.
AND IT COULD BE ARGUED THAT THE SITUATION IS WORSE TODAY THAN IT WAS THEN, HE SAID,
+OUR HILLSIDES ARE COVERED MORE THICKLY THAN EVER WITH SQUATTERS, OUR ROOFTOP HUTS ARE GOING UP FROM SINGLE STOREY TO TWO OR EVEN THREE STOREYS.
+FLATS ARE
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