XN000022-1986-10-15 — Page 32

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1986

· LEE ALSO SAID THAT THE POWER AND PRIVILEGES ORDINANCE, WHICH POWERED THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO OBTAIN INFORMATION INCLU. IG COMMERCIAL SECRETS, COULD BE INVOKED IF THE PUBLIC INTEREST SO WARRANTED.

HE SAID A GREAT MANY PEOPLE IN HONG KONG CONSIDERED THE NUCLEAR PLANT AS A GREAT THREAT TO THE SAFETY AND EVEN THE EXISTENCE OF THE TERRITORY.

+ IT MAY TURN OUT TO BE AN ISSUE SO CRUCIAL TO THE PUBLIC INTEREST THAT MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL MAY FIND THEMSELVES FACED WITH THE DIFFICULT DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO INVOKE THE PROVISIONS OF THE POWER AND PRIVILEGES ORDINANCE,+ HE ADDED.

INFORMATION DISCLOSURE A BASIC DEMAND *****

THE CALL BY LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR THE DISCLOSURE OF ALL RELEVANT INFORMATION CONCERNING DAYA BAY NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IS A MOST BASIC DEMAND, THE HON PANG CHUN-HOI SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

IN A DEMOCRATIC AND LIBERAL SOCIETY, HE SAID, IT WAS NECESSARY TO MAKE KNOWN TO THE PUBLIC ALL INFORMATION WHICH WAS IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST AND OF GREAT CONCERN TO THE PEOPLE.

THE FACT THAT NO SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING WAS HELD BEFORE THE CONTRACT SIGNING OF THE DAYA BAY PROJECT HAD LED HONG KONG PEOPLE TO GIVE THE COUNCIL A VOTE OF NO-CONFIDENCE, HE SAID.

+SINCE THE SINO-BRITISH NEGOTIATIONS ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE, THE DAYA BAY PROJECT IS AN ISSUE OVER WHICH THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT, OUR MEMBERS AND THE PUBLIC HAS BEEN THE MOST HOSTILE,+ HE NOTED.

HE SAID THIS WAS BECAUSE THE FACT-FINDING DELEGATIONS REPORTED AFTER THEIR TRIPS ABROAD THAT THEIR CONFIDENCE HAD GREATLY INCREASED. ACCORDING TO SEVERAL PUBLIC OPINION SURVEYS CONDUCTED RECENTLY, HOWEVER, MOST PEOPLE STILL WANTED TO STOP THE BUILDING OF THE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT.

+THEIR ANXIETY HAS NOT BEEN ALLAYED AT ALL, HE SAID.

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