XN000022-1990-10-10 — Page 41

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1990

HIGHER INCOMES MAKE OTHER CHOICES POSSIBLE AS WELL. IN HOUSING, THIS MEANS A CHANCE TO BUY A HOME - THAT'S A MAJOR GOAL FOR HONG KONG FAMILIES. BY THE YEAR 2000, TWO OUT OF THREE FAMILIES WILL HAVE DONE THIS. AT THE SAME TIME, WE'RE WELL ON THE WAY TO UPGRADING THE QUALITY OF THE AVERAGE PUBLIC HOUSING. THE FLATS THAT WE ARE BUILDING TODAY ARE A VAST IMPROVEMENT OVER THE OLD RESETTLEMENT BLOCKS.

AS A COMMUNITY, WE BELIEVE IN CARING FOR OUR MORE VULNERABLE MEMBERS. OUR SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES STEP IN WHEN THE FAMILY CAN'T COPE. BUT THE FAMILY REMAINS CENTRAL TO EVERYTHING WE DO. IT'S THE FOUNDATION OF OUR SOCIETY. WE ARE NOW WORKING ON A NEW WHITE PAPER ON SOCIAL WELFARE FOR THE 1990S. ALREADY, IT'S CLEAR THAT WE WILL HAVE TO INCREASE OUR SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY, PARTICULARLY BY PROVIDING MORE RESIDENTIAL CARE FOR OLD PEOPLE.

WE ALSO HAVE TO INVEST IN OUR LONG-TERM FUTURE. EARLY NEXT YEAR, CONSTRUCTION WORK ON THE NEW AIRPORT WILL BEGIN. SINCE, LAST YEAR, I ANNOUNCED THE DECISION TO GO AHEAD WITH THIS PROJECT, THE CASE FOR THE NEW AIRPORT HAS BECOME EVEN STRONGER THAN IT WAS THEN. WE NOW KNOW THAT KAI TAK WILL REACH SATURATION POINT MUCH EARLIER THAN EXPECTED. OF COURSE, THE NEW AIRPORT REPRESENTS A HUGE CHALLENGE. BUT WE HAVE THE RESOURCES, THE SKILLS AND THE DETERMINATION TO SUCCEED, AND THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT WE CAN AFFORD IT.

NEXT YEAR, WE'LL BE ORGANISING THE FIRST DIRECT ELECTIONS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. WE NEED FOR THAT, GOOD CANDIDATES TO STAND FOR ELECTION. AND THE COMMUNITY HAS GOT TO PLAY ITS PART BY EXERCISING ITS RIGHT TO VOTE. THESE ELECTIONS WILL ALLOW THE COMMUNITY TO CHOOSE ITS OWN REPRESENTATIVES THE MEN AND WOMEN WHOSE TASK IT WILL BE TO PROVIDE LEADERSHIP DURING THE COMING, CRUCIAL DECADE.

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WE CAN'T DEVOTE ALL OUR ATTENTION SIMPLY TO DOMESTIC ISSUES. AS WE MOVE FORWARD TO 1997, THE RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA WILL BE INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT TO EVERYTHING THAT WE DO. IT'S VITAL THAT WE SHOULD DO ALL WE CAN TO REMOVE MISUNDERSTANDINGS THROUGH CLOSER CONTACTS WITH THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES.

HONG KONG'S RECORD IS ONE OF CONTINUED ACHIEVEMENT, NO MATTER WHAT THE OBSTACLES, NO MATTER WHAT THE TEMPORARY DIFFICULTIES. THIS IS A TERRITORY OF WHICH WE CAN ALL BE PROUD. AND WHAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED IN THE PAST SHOULD STRENGTHEN OUR VISION OF THE FUTURE: HONG KONG CAN AND I'M SURE HONG KONG WILL REMAIN AN INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR BUSINES3 AND FINANCE; A UNIQUE BRIDGE BETWEEN CHINA AND THE WORLD; AND, ABOVE ALL, THE PLACE WHICH ITS PEOPLE ARE PROUD TO CALL THEIR HOME.