XN000022-1985-06-12 — Page 20

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WEDN

TNE 12, 1985

THEY DELIBERATED AT LENGTH AND IN GREAT DETAIL PARTICULARLY OVER THE PROVISIONS OF CLAUSE 20 AND CLAUSE 24, HE CONTINUED,

THE RESULTANT CONSENSUS WAS THAT CLAUSE 20 WOULD BE DELETED ENTIRELY AND THAT CLAUSE 24 WOULD BE SO AMENDED AS TO REFLECT AGREEMENT THAT UNLAWFUL ACTS OF THE COUNCIL OR THE PRESIDENT OR OFFICERS OF THE COUNCIL WOULD STILL BE SUBJECTED TO THE SCRUTINY OF THE JUDICIARY.

ON ONE +WIDELY PUBLICISED ASSERTION+ THAT IT WOULD NOT BE CONDUCIVE TO PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN THE LEGISLATURE IF THIS BILL WAS PUSHED THROUGH WITH INDECENT HASTE DURING THE CURRENT SESSION BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF THE ELECTED MEMBERS, MR CHEONG SAID THIS WAS FORWARDED AS ONE OF THE PRINCIPAL REASON BEHIND THE CALL FOR DEFERMENT OF THE SECOND READING OF THE BILL.

+ I AM SURE I WILL NOT BE ALONE IN QUESTIONING THE LOGIC BEHIND SUCH AN ASSERTION AND THE VALIDITY OF ITS IMPLIED ASSUMPTIONS, + HE SAID.

PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN THE LEGISLATURE SURELY HAD TO BE EARNED, IT DID NOT COME AUTOMATICALLY WITH THE ARRIVAL OR OTHERWISE OF ELECTED MEMBERS.

IN ANY CASE, THE IMPLIED ASSUMPTION THAT ELECTED MEMBERS WOULD HAVE LESS VESTED INTEREST THAN APPOINTED MEMBERS IN THIS

ISSUE DID NOT HOLD TRUE.

+WHY THEN SHOULD IT FOLLOW THAT APPOINTED MEMBERS, SITTING IN THE CURRENT SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE, WILL NOT BE ABLE TO LOOK AFTER THE INTEREST OF THE PUBLIC WHILST DELIBERATING OVER THE PROVISIONS OF THIS BILL? HE QUESTIONED.

+ IN MY VIEW, IF AND WHEN MEMBERS ARE FIRST SATISFIED THAT THEY HAVE BEEN CONSCIENTIOUS AND DILIGENT IN THEIR DELIBERATIONS AND IN SO DOING, SECONDLY, HAVE FULLY TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION ALL REPRESENTATION WHILST TRYING, THIRDLY, TO TAKE STEPS TO AMEND WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN WRONG, THEN THEIR DUTIES AS LEGISLATORS WOULD HAVE BEEN DISCHARGED HONORABLY.

+ I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO EMPHASISE THAT THE FINAL PACKAGE, INCLUSIVE OF ALL THE AMENDMENTS, HAS BEEN ARRIVED AT WITH DUE CARE AND OBJECTIVITY AND, IN MY OPINION, IT CAN BE CONSIDERED AS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF HOW MEANINGFUL IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PROVISIONS OF ANY BILL CAN BE ACHIEVED THROUGH CONSCIOUS AND REASONABLE PUBLIC REPRESENTATIONS MADE TO UMELCO.

+THEREFORE ANY FURTHER DEFERMENT OF THIS BILL IS UNNECESSARY, + HE DECLARED.

IN CONCLUSION, MR CHEONG SAID HE HAD GREAT PLEASURE IN DECLARING HIS WHOLE-HEARTED SUPPORT OF THE MOTION, SUBJECT TO THE AMENDMENTS BEING PROPOSED AND ENACTED IN THE COMMITTEE STAGE OF THE BILL.

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