XN000022-1985-12-11 — Page 2

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1985

PEOPLE'S SUPPORT URGED IN GOVERNING OF HONG KONG

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THE GOVERNMENT WAS COMMITTED TO GOVERNING HONG KONG EFFECTIVELY WITH THE LONG-TERM INTERESTS OF HONG KONG IN MIND, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, THE HON SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

IN DOING SO, IT WOULD REQUIRE THE UNDERSTANDING AND SUPPORT OF THE PEOPLE, HE ADDED, IN MAKING THE OPENING SPEECH IN THE RESUMED DEBATE ON A MOTION OF THANKS FOR THE GOVERNOR'S ANNUAL POLICY ADDRESS.

AND SPEAKING OF THE WORK OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, HE SAID THE COUNCIL HAD TO DEVELOP ITS OWN NEW STYLE OF WORK TO REFLECT. NEW RESPONSIBILITIES CREATED BY AN INCREASED NUMBER OF MEMBERS AND BY THE DIFFERENT REPRESENTATIVE CHARACTER BUILT INTO THE NEW COUNCIL.

+WE NEED TIME TO EVOLVE AND ADJUST BEFORE WE CAN EVALUATE THE SYSTEM AND COME TO HARD AND FAST CONCLUSIONS ABOUT IT. THIS IS THE METHOD WE HAVE USED DURING THE PAST 17 YEARS, FIRST, MAKING GOVERNMENT MORE ACCESSIBLE IN THE DISTRICTS, THEN CREATING MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES FOLLOWED BY AREA COMMITTEES, DISTRICT BOARDS, ELECTIONS TO DISTRICT BOARDS, AND LASTLY, ÉLECTIONS TO THIS COUNCIL.

+ IT HAS BEEN A PROGRESSIVE DEVELOPMENT AND AT EACH STEP WE HAVE LEFT AN INTERVAL TO LET THE CHANGES CONSOLIDATE AND TO ALLOW TIME FOR EVALUATION BEFORE TAKING THE NEXT STEP, HE SAID.

+THUS, WHILE NOTING THE VARIOUS PROPOSALS THAT MEMBERS HAVE MADE, IN THE GOVERNMENT'S VIEW, WE SHOULD NOT PRONOUNCE ON THE SE IDEAS UNTIL THE 1987 REVIEW, BUT SHOULD CONTINUE PROGRESSIVELY TO EVALUATE THE WORKING OF THE PRESENT SYSTEM AT ALL LEVELS.

+AND IN DOING SO, IF I CAN ECHO YOUR WORDS, SIR, WE SHOULD BE CONFIDENT THAT ON THESE FOUNDATIONS A FRAMEWORK OF ENDURING INSTITUTIONS CAN BE CONSTRUCTED, WHICH WILL ENJOY THE CONFIDENCE OF THE PEOPLE AND MAINTAIN OUR STABILITY AND PROSPERITY.+

THE MOTION OF THANKS, SIR DAVID POINTED OUT, WAS FOR THE GOVERNOR'S EVALUATION OF THE POLICIES, PROGRAMMES AND PERFORMANCE OF THE GOVERNMENT OVER THE PAST YEAR, AND FOR HIS ENUNCIATION OF THE MEASURES IN HAND TO ENSURE, SO FAR AS WAS HUMANLY POSSIBLE, +THAT WE CONTINUE TO GET OUR PRIORITIES RIGHT, CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS ON THOSE PRIORITIES, AND IN SO DOING MAKE CERTAIN THE GOOD GOVERNMENT AND STABILITY OF HONG KONG, AND, NOT ONLY MAINTAIN, BUT INCREASE AND EXTEND ITS PROSPERITY.+

SIR DAVID ALSO THANKED MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT, FOR THE TIME AND EFFORT THEY HAD DEVOTED TO STUDYING THOSE PLANS AND PROPOSALS, AND FOR THE IR +PERCEPTIVE AND USEFUL COMMENTS AND ADVICE.+

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