XN000022-1992-10-07 — Page 3

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1992

GOVERNOR: THERE IS NO CHANGE IN PRIORITY AND I DID REFER SEVERAL TIMES TO THE IMPORTANCE OF A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA. I THINK THAT IT SHOULD GO WITHOUT NEEDING TO BE SAID, THAT WE WANT TO HAVE THE CLOSEST POSSIBLE RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA. I SAID THAT THIS AFTERNOON AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN, BUT I THINK THAT IF THAT WERE TO BE THE CONTENT OF EVERY PAGE OF EVERY SPEECH I MADE, PEOPLE MIGHT THINK THAT I'D GOT MY GRAMAPHONE NEEDLE STUCK IF GRAMAPHONE NEEDLES STILL EXIST.

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CATHERINE ONG (BUSINESS TIMES): BY SLASHING REPRESENTATIVES OF ALL POLITICAL PARTIES FROM YOUR EXCO APPOINTMENTS, AREN'T YOU AFRAID THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE DIFFICULTY GETTING SUPPORT IN PASSING GOVERNMENT BILLS IN THE LEGCO?

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GOVERNOR: I HOPE NOT. I SET OUT THE RATIONALE BEHIND MY DECISION SOME LENGTH IN MY SPEECH AND I'VE DISCUSSED IT WITH PARTY GROUPS AS WELL. I HAVE TO SECURE A MAJORITY IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AS THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, WITH MY SENIOR OFFICIALS, IN WHATEVER WAY I CAN. I TALKED ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF IMPROVING

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY I HAVE TO ARGUE MY CASE то THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, AND I HOPE BE CONVINCING ABOUT IT, THAT'S WHAT ACCOUNTABILITY MEANS.

ANDREW BROWN (TVB) : I THINK THAT FELICE LIEH-MAK WAS A MEMBER OF THE CO-OPERATIVE RESOURCES CENTRE UNTIL VERY RECENTLY. ISN'T THERE A CONFLICT OF INTERESTS HAVING HER ON THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL WHEN HER POLITICAL INTERESTS ARE SO OPENLY DECLARED?

GOVERNOR: I DON'T BELIEVE so. SHE HAS LEFT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND THE LOOSE POLITICAL GROUPING OF WHICH SHE WAS A MEMBER. I THINK SHE HAS A VERY SUBSTANTIAL CONTRIBUTION TO MAKE IN THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, SHE'S ENORMOUSLY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT A WIDE RANGE OF ISSUES, PARTICULARLY IN THE HEALTH AND SOCIAL WELFARE FIELDS, AND I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT HER APPOINTMENT WOULD BE WELCOMED BY MOST OF HER COLLEAGUES OR FORMER COLLEAGUES ON THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

LAURENCE ZUCKERMAN (INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE): I WAS WONDERING THE PREMISE OF YOUR CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS SEEMS TO BE BASED ON THE FACT THAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WANT MORE DEMOCRACY WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED LIMITS OF THE BASIC LAW

TO I WAS WONDERING HOW YOU CAME THAT CONCLUSION WHEN LAST SEPTEMBER'S ELECTIONS WERE SWEPT BY THE UDHK WHICH CAMPAIGNED ON THE IDEA THAT THERE SHOULD BE MORE, INCREASED DEMOCRACY BEYOND THE LIMITS OF THE BASIC LAW?

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/GOVERNOR: IN