XN000022-1986-04-16 — Page 6

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 1986

THE CORPORATION, HE ADDED, WAS CONFIDENT THAT THE CAPITAL RESTRUCTURING PROGRAMME APPROVED BY THE FINANCE COMMITTEE WOULD ENABLE IT TO SERVICE AND TO REPAY STEADILY ITS LARGE DEBTS.

SIR JOHN SAID THAT CONSTRUCTION WORK ON THE EASTERN HARBOUR CROSSING WAS SCHEDULED TO START IN MID-1986.

+ INCREMENTAL REVENUES EARNED BY THE CORPORATION FROM OPERATING THIS EXTENSION TO ITS SYSTEM ARE EXPECTED IN EACH YEAR TO EXCEED THE SUM OF FIXED SEMI-ANNUAL PAYMENTS TO BE MADE BY THE CORPORATION AND THE OPERATING COSTS, HE ADDED.

SUMMING UP, SIR JOHN SAID THAT DURING THE PAST YEAR, THE MTR SYSTEM OPERATED EFFICIENTLY, AND HAD BECOME AN INTEGRAL AND ESSENTIAL PART OF HONG KONG'S PUBLIC TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE.

+IN FACT A HONG KONG WITHOUT THE MTR IS INCONCEIVABLE.+

BILL SEEKS FREEDOM TO NAME UNSCRUPULOUS RETAILERS

*****

THE MEDIA WOULD BE FREE TO MENTION RETAILERS NAMED BY THE CONSUMER COUNCIL WITHOUT FEAR OF BEING HELD LIABLE FOR DEFAMATION, SO LONG AS THE REPORTS WERE FAIR AND ACCURATE AND NOT MOTIVATED BY MALICE, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE HON MICHAEL THOMAS, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

MOVING THE SECOND READING OF THE DEFAMATION (AMENDMENT) BILL 1986, MR THOMAS SAID IF A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS OF MALPRACTICE DIRECTED TOWARDS A PARTICULAR SHOP WERE SUBSTANTIATED AFTER CONSUMER COUNCIL INVESTIGATION, THE COUNCIL MIGHT CHOOSE TO MAKE PUBLIC THE NAME OF THOSE RETAILERS.

HOWEVER, HE SAID, NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS AND TELEVISION AND RADIO STATIONS WERE UNWILLING TO PUBLISH THESE NAMES IN CASE THEY WERE IMMEDIATELY EMBROILED IN ACTIONS FOR DEFAMATION.

+THIS HAS LARGELY DEFEATED THE COUNCIL'S ATTEMPTS TO WARN CONSUMERS AGAINST UNETHICAL RETAILERS,+ HE SAID.

MR THOMAS POINTED OUT THAT WHILE THE CONSUMER COUNCIL COULD RESIST CLAIMS FOR LIBEL BY RELYING UPON THE DEFENCES OF JUSTIFICATION AND QUALIFIED PRIVILEGE, USING THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF THE MATTERS THEY HAD INVESTIGATED, THE MEDIA TOOK THE RISK OF DEFAMING RETAILERS WITHOUT BEING IN A POSITION TO INVESTIGATE THOSE COMPLAINTS AND WEIGH THE EVIDENCE.

/IN ORDER