XN000022-1987-07-16 — Page 12

THURSDAY, JULY 16, 1987

11

COUNCILLORS MUST PROVIDE LEADERSHIP

LEGISLATIVE

LEADERSHIP IN

THE HON RICHARD LAI SAID TODAY (THURSDAY) THAT COUNCILLORS, AS LEADERS OF THE COMMUNITY, MUST PROVIDE THE 1987 REVIEW OF DEVELOPMENTS IN REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT.

SPEAKING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON THE MOTION ON THE PAPER, MR LAI SAID LEADERSHIP MEANT DIRECTION, NOT DICTATION.

TO

SOMETHING

THE PUBLIC HE SAID: "TO SAY

IN THEM INTO MAKING A CHOICE INTIMIDATING

THAT IS INCLINATION IS NOT DIRECTION, BUT DICTATION.

GREEN

THE AGAINST

HOPE OF THEIR

LEAD

"

THE PEOPLE, AND DIRECTION MEANS DISCERNING THE ASPIRATION OF

IN

THAT END. THAT IS

IS ACHIEVING THE

DIRECTION.

I

TIIEM LEADERSHIP,'

WITH

MR LAI

SAID

MORAL

A

STATE

AND

POINTING OUT THAT THE NEED OF APPEARING BEFORE THE PUBLIC NO PRECONCEIVED IDEAS ABOUT THE REVIEW WAS APPRECIATED,

MEAN HOWEVER, THIS DID NOT

THE

OF THE SURRENDERING RESPONSIBILITY TO LEAD; IT MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO REGRESS TO OF PHOBIA FOR SPEAKING OUT ON THE ISSUES THAT WARRANTED DIRECTION LEADERSHIP.

HE NOTED THAT LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS HAD SO FAR LAGGED IN THE REVIEW, THAT THEY HAD BEEN AT THE REAR OF THE PEOPLE, AND THEY HAD NOT BEEN PROVIDING DIRECTION AS THEY SHOULD.

BEHIND THAT

HE SAID: "WE MUST ASK A SOUL-SEARCHING QUESTION WHETHER WE

THE QUEST TO

A IDENTIFY WITH

DEVELOP

TRUELY REPRESENTATIVE ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNMENT, WHETHER DEMOCRACY IS A GOOD THING.

ALL AND

DO WE

DEMOCRACY AND "IF WE DO NOT EVEN HAVE THE WILL TO ASSERT THAT EQUALITY IS AN IDEAL TOWARDS WHICH WE SHOULD STRIDE, THEN WHAT STAND FOR ANYWAYS?

GOAL. THEN I THINK "IF WE AFFIRM THAT THEY ARE OUR ULTIMATE

REALITY IS MAKING COMPROMISES TO INTEGRATE THE DYNAMICS OF POLITICAL ACCEPTABLE AS A MEANS TO ACHIEVING OUR FINAL END. POLITICS, AFTERALL, AS THE OVER-USED PHRASE SAYS, IS AN ART OF COMPROMISE.

NEVERTHELESS, MR LAI

SAID EQUALITY AND DEMOCRACY WERK THE PRINCIPLES THAT THEY COULD NOT SACRIFICE.

WE MUST WHEN THERE BUT WE MUST ONCE THIS PREMISE IS ESTABLISHED,

HE SAID: "NO MATTER WHAT THE POLITICAL CLIMATE MAY BE, KEEP THEM CLEARLY IN FOCUS. WE MAY HAVE TO TAKE A DETOUR IS AN OBSTACLE UP AHEAD; WE MAY GO AROUND THE OBSTACLE, NOT GO AWAY FROM THE ULTIMATE GOAL. THE REST FOLLOWS."

/MR LAI