XN000022-1984-08-02 — Page 11

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 1984

+CAREFUL CONSIDERATION IS NOW BEING GIVEN TO ALL THESE COMPLEX MATTERS AND PROPOSED SOLUTIONS WILL BE PUT FORWARD FOR DEBATE IN THE WHITE PAPER. THEN, DETAILED PROPOSALS WILL BE LAID BEFORE THIS COUNCIL IN THE NORMAL WAY.

A MINISTERIAL SYSTEM

+MISS DUNN ARGUED THAT, ONLY BY LINKING THE PEOPLE'S ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES WITH THE ADMINISTRATION VIA A MINISTERIAL SYSTEM WOULD REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT HAVE REAL MEANING AND MR PETER WONG AND MR STEPHEN CHEONG ALSO TOUCHED ON THE POSSIBILITY THAT, IN DUE COURSE, SOME UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MIGHT ASSUME EXECUTIVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR CERTAIN PORTFOLIOS.

+ALTHOUGH THERE ARE VALID ARGUMENTS IN FAVOUR OF INTRODUCING SUCH A SYSTEM, AND THE LINK BETWEEN THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS ON ONE HAND AND THE ADMINISTRATION ON THE OTHER, PRESENTLY PROVIDED BY EX-OFF ICIO AND OFFICIAL MEMBERS COULD JUST AS LOGICALLY BE PROVIDED BY APPOINTING SOME UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS TO EXECUTIVE POSTS, IT WOULD REPRESENT A RADICAL CHANGE IN THE PRESENT CONSTITUTIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEM IN HONG KONG. THAT IS NO CONTRARY ARGUMENT IN ITSELF AND CAN ASSURE MISS DUNN AND MRS SELINA CHOW THAT OUR MINDS ARE NOT CLOSED TO THIS POSSIBLE VIEWPOINT.

+HOWEVER, WE MUST AVOID OVERLOADING THE SYSTEM WITH TOO MANY SIMULTANEOUS REFORMS AND WE MUST BE QUITE CLEAR AS TO THE IMPLICATIONS OF SUCH APPOINTMENTS FOR THE COLLECTIVE POLICY-MAKING ROLE OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL. EQUALLY, THE IMPLICATIONS OF A MINISTERIAL SYSTEM FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE WOULD HAVE TO BE CLEARLY AND CAREFULLY THOUGHT THROUGH. HOWEVER, AS WITH DIRECT ELECTIONS, THE POSSIBILITY OF INTRODUCING SOME VARIANT OF A MINISTERIAL SYSTEM LATER ON COULD BE CONSIDERED WHEN THE OVERALL POSITION IS REVIEWED IN FIVE YEARS' TIME.

+MRS SELINA CHOW SUGGESTED THAT EARLY ATTENTION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE PROCESS BY WHICH THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE IS SELECTED AND HOW HIS POWERS SHOULD BE DEFINED. AS YOU, SIR, SAID IN YOUR ADDRESS TO THIS COUNCIL ON JULY 18, THESE ARE MATTERS REQUIRING FURTHER AND CAREFUL REFLECTION.

PERIOD FOR PUBLIC CONSULTATION

+FINALLY, AS REGARDS THE PERIOD OF TWO MONTHS WHICH HAS BEEN GIVEN FOR PUBLIC CONSIDERATION AND COMMENT ON THE GREEN PAPER, I AGREE WITH MR BROWN THAT, IDEALLY, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IF A RATHER LONGER PERIOD COULD HAVE BEEN ALLOWED BUT, AS WE ALL KNOW, EVENTS ARE MOVING VERY FAST THESE DAYS.

+BEARING IN MIND THAT THE NEXT DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS WILL DE HELD IN MARCH 1985 AND ALL THE LEGISLATIVE AND ADMINISTRATIVE PREPARATIONS WHICH WILL HAVE TO BE MADE TO MEET THE AIM OF HOLDING THE FIRST ELECTIONS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN JULY 1985, THE SOONER WE CAN REACH A FIRM DECISION ON THE PROPOSALS IN THE GREEN PAPER, THE BETTER.

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