XN000022-1992-10-08 — Page 2

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1992

THE GOVERNOR THE RT

HON

CHRISTOPHER PATTEN'S

QUESTION TIME IN LEGCO THURSDAY, 8TH OCTOBER 1992

*

GOVERNOR:

HONOURABLE MEMBERS, CAN I SAY FIRST OF ALL HOW GRATEFUL I AM TO THE COUNCIL FOR MAKING THIS SESSION POSSIBLE. I REALISE THAT WE ARE, ALL OF US, IN UNCHARTED WATERS, NOT LEAST YOUR PRESIDENT WHO IS MORE USED ON THESE OCCASIONS TO BEING DOWN THERE RATHER THAN UP HERE. BUT I DO WANT TO FIND A WAY IN WHICH WE CAN HAVE REGULAR EXCHANGES IN WHICH YOU CAN, ON A REGULAR BASIS, ASK ME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE POLICIES AND PROGRAMME OF THE EXECUTIVE. BUT WE MAY NEED TO BE A LITTLE CHARITABLE WITH ONE ANOTHER AND A LITTLE FLEXIBLE, UNTIL WE'VE WORKED OUT ARRANGEMENTS WHICH ARE SUITABLE ALL ROUND.

I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO FIXED PREJUDICE OR OPINION ABOUT HOW WE SHOULD CONDUCT THESE SESSIONS, EXCEPT TO SAY THIS, WHICH I HOPE HONOURABLE MEMBERS WON'T FIND TOO SANCTIMONIQUS, I DO HOPE THAT WE CAN DEVELOP A STYLE OF DIALOGUE WHICH IS NOT TOO CONFRONTATIONAL.

I THINK THIS SHOULD BE A CHANCE FOR EXPLANATION AND AN EXCHANGE OF VIEWS RATHER THAN FOR PARTISAN POINT SCORING, I DON'T PRETEND ON THIS OCCASION TO BRING WITH ME AS SOMETHING TO FOLLOW, THE EXAMPLE OF WESTMINSTER. WE MIGHT DO BETTER TO SET OUR OWN STANDARDS AND GIVE A BETTER EXAMPLE.

ONE OTHER GENERAL POINT THAT I'D LIKE TO MAKE

AT THE OUTSET BEFORE PUTTING MYSELF IN THE HANDS OF THE COUNCIL. SOME PEOPLE HAVE SAID TO ME IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS THAT LEGCO USED TO WORK IN A VERY CO-OPERATIVE WAY AND THAT THAT SORT OF CO-OPERATION BETWEEN MEMBERS AND BETWEEN MEMBERS AND THE EXECUTIVE WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE NOW THAT A MAJORITY OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WAS ELECTED. I MUST SAY I

THAT I DON'T BELIEVE FOR A MOMENT THAT THAT SHOULD BE THE CASE. THINK IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE DEMONSTRATE THAT A GOVERNMENT WHICH IS ACCOUNTABLE TO A LEGISLATURE LIKE THIS IS MORE LIKELY RATHER THAN LESS LIKELY TO PROMOTE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY AND I'M SURE THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO DEVELOP A WAY OF EXCHANGING VIEWS WHICH ENABLES US TO WORK MORE CLOSELY TOGETHER RATHER THAN TO OPEN UP DIVISIONS BETWEEN THAT'S CERTAINLY GOING TO BE MY APPROACH TO MY RELATIONSHIP WITH COUNCIL WHICH WILL NECESSARILY AND PROPERLY BE RATHER DIFFERENT THE RELATIONSHIP WHICH MY PREDECESSORS HAVE HAD.

US.

THIS FROM

I'M NOW IN THE COUNCIL'S HANDS ABOUT HOW ΤΟ ANSWER QUESTIONS ON MY LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ADDRESS YESTERDAY. I GUESS THAT WE COULD DO NO BETTER THAN TAKE QUESTIONS FOR AN HOUR-AND-A-HALF IN THE ORDER IN WHICH HANDS RISE, AND I'LL TRY TO BE FAIR.

IT'S NOT PREJUDICE AND NOT SEXISM IF I SAY THAT THE FIRST HAND THAT ROSE WAS THAT OF MISS EMILY LAU.

/MISS EMILY