XN000022-1992-07-10 — Page 2

FRIDAY, JULY 10, 1992

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GOVERNOR'S MEET-THE-MEDIA SESSION

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THE FOLLOWING IS TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRESS BRIEFING GIVEN BY THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE THIS

(FRIDAY) MORNING:

THE GOVERNOR: I WILL SPEAK AS LOUDLY AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT, I MAKING LIFE UNCOMFORTABLE FOR YOU.

HOPE,

AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS, INDEED MONTHS OF PREPARATION, I AM VERY PLEASED TO HAVE STARTED WORK THIS MORNING, IN EARNEST. MY FAMILY AND I ENJOYED YESTERDAY'S INAUGURATION AND NOW IT IS DOWN TO WORK. I'VE SAID ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS THAT WHAT I HOPE, IS THAT I WOULD BE ABLE TO BE AS OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE AS POSSIBLE DURING MY FIVE YEARS AS GOVERNOR, AND WHAT I THOUGHT WOULD BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL IN THAT PROCESS IS FOR ME, REASONABLY REGULARLY, TO TALK TO THE MEDIA LIKE THIS, WITH AT LEAST ONE COMMON OBJECTIVE IN MIND.

I THINK THAT, AS YOU KNOW, I WILL BE SPENDING AS MUCH TIME AS I. POSSIBLY CAN OUT OF THE OFFICE VISITING THE CITIZENS OF HONG KONG IN THEIR OWN HOMES AND COMMUNITIES. THIS AFTERNOON, FOR EXAMPLE, I AM GOING TO MONG KOK AND SHA TIN AND DIAMOND HILL. I WANT TO LEARN ABOUT SOME OF THE HOUSING AND LAW AND ORDER PROBLEMS IN THOSE AREAS.

IT IS,

I THINK, A MILD INCONVENIENCE ON BOTH SIDES IF EVERY TIME I SET FOOT OUTSIDE THE GATE YOU FEEL UNDER AN OBLIGATION TO TALK TO ME ABOUT OTHER MATTERS AND WE FETCH UP HAVING A POLITICAL DIALOGUE BY 'DOORSTEPPING' RATHER THAN MORE FORMAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU TO ASK QUESTIONS. SO I DO HOPE THAT EVEN THOUGH IT MAY INVOLVE A CERTAIN RESTRAINT ON BOTH SIDES, THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE REASONABLY REGULAR MEETINGS LIKE THIS, OF COURSE, FROM TIME TO TIME, BIGGER MORE FORMAL PRESS CONFERENCES SO THAT WE CAN DISCUSS POLITICAL ISSUES MORE SENSIBLY THAN WHILE I AM TRYING TO PLANT A TREE OR WHILE YOU ARE TRYING TO FIGHT YOUR WAY THROUGH SEVERAL TELEVISION-CREWS TO ASK A QUESTION.

WHEN I TALK ABOUT MORE OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE GOVERNMENT, OBVIOUSLY I LOOK AS WELL TO MY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. I WILL, IN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO, BE WANTING TO EXPLORE WITH MY COLLEAGUES IN THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, AND WITH MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, HOW I CAN BE MORE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED, AS SOME OF YOU WILL KNOW, THAT I SHOULD TRY TO INSTITUTE SOME FORM OF FAIRLY REGULAR 'QUESTION TIME' IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SO THAT ITS MEMBERS CAN ASK ME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE POLICIES OF THE ADMINISTRATION, AND I WILL BE PURSUING HOW BEST WE CAN ORGANISE SUCH A QUESTION TIME' WITH THOSE THAT I MENTIONED A MOMENT OR TWO AGO.

I REPEAT THAT I HOPE WE CAN MAKE THESE SESSIONS REASONABLY FREQUENT, GIVING YOU AN OPPORTUNITY OF HEARING MY OWN POLITICAL THOUGHTS AND GIVING YOU A CHANCE OF ASKING ONE OR TWO QUESTIONS. AND I AM NOW PREPARED TO TAKE ABOUT TEN MINUTES OF QUESTIONS. IF YOU CAN JUST SAY WHO YOU ARE AND WHO YOU'RE FROM IT WILL HELP US DEVELOP THAT RELATIONSHIP WHICH I KNOW WE WANT.

/QUESTION: MR PATTEN,