XN000022-1992-10-08 — Page 39

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1992

GOVERNOR:

LOTS

OF A THINK BEEN

I DON'T WANT TO CAST BLAME AROUND AND I DARE SAY OF PEOPLE WOULD EXPECT ME TO PULL AN AIRPORT LIKE A RABBIT OUT HAT AND LOTS OF PEOPLE WOULD BLAME ME IF IT WASN'T DONE. BUT I THERE IS A GENERAL RECOGNITION THAT EVEN THOUGH THERE HAVE WRANGLES OVER LEGITIMATE POINTS OF OPINION ON FINANCING THAT WE TRIED VERY VERY HARD TO MEET EVERY REASONABLE CRITICISM THAT'S BEEN PUT FORWARD. WE HAVE COME BACK AGAIN AND AGAIN WITH DIFFERENT IDEAS FOR FINANCING THE OVERALL AIRPORT. I WAS ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE YESTERDAY

—

-

HAVE

I THINK WITHOUT MUCH QUESTIONING THAT WE CAN BOTH AFFORD THE AIRPORT AND AFFORD SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES IN OUR SOCIAL WELFARE PROGRAMME. SO I DON'T THINK WE WILL HEAR MUCH OF THAT ARGUMENT AGAIN, BUT IT DOES TAKE TWO TO TANGO OR TWO TO PLAY A GAME OF TENNIS, OR TWO TO REACH AGREEMENT ON FINANCING THE AIRPORT AND, SOONER OR LATER, AS I KNOW FROM BEING A TENNIS PLAYER, IF YOU WANT A GOOD GAME IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE BALL COMES BACK OVER THE NET.

QUESTION:

I HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION FOR YOU MR. PATTEN ABOUT THE AIRPORT. YOU SAID YESTERDAY THAT THE AIRPORT ISSUE CAN BE RESOLVED IN AN AFTERNOON. HOW SOON CAN YOU GET IT RESOLVED? DO YOU EXPECT TO GET IT RESOLVED IN AN AFTERNOON IN PEKING?

GOVERNOR:

MR. LU HONG

THE

ARE

WANT

I DON'T KNOW. I'LL KNOW BETTER ONCE I'VE MET PING, THE EXTREMELY DISTINGUISHED AND KNOWLEDGEABLE HEAD OF THE KONG AND MACAU OFFICE. I THINK THAT IT'S ALWAYS BEST TO ASSUME BEST ABOUT THOSE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO WORK WITH AND THOSE YOU GOING TO NEGOTIATE WITH AND I ASSUME THAT BOTH MR LU PING AND I THE BEST FOR HONG KONG. THAT IS THE ASSUMPTION I AM GOING TO MAKE AND I WILL NOT BUDGE FROM THAT ASSUMPTION. SO, I DON'T WANT TO GIVE EXTRAVAGANT PROMISES ABOUT WHAT IS ACHIEVABLE FROM MY VISIT TO PEKING AND I THINK, FRANKLY, THAT PEOPLE, HOWEVER IMPORTANT THE AIRPORT IS, WILL REGARD SOME OF THE THINGS I DISCUSSED ABOUT HONG KONG'S FUTURE AND HONG KONG'S WAY OF LIFE HAS BEEN EVEN MORE IMPORTANT LOT MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE AIRPORT,

QUESTION:

-

A

WHY

GOOD MORNING MR PATTEN. REGARDING SERVICES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, IT SEEMS AS IF YOU HAVEN'T REALLY TALKED ABOUT JUVENILES. IS THAT SO?

GOVERNOR:

—

OF

I DIDN'T SAY VERY MUCH IN MY SPEECH ABOUT THE SORT SERVICES YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT, THOUGH I DID SAY QUITE A LOT IN MY SPEECH, AS YOU KNOW, ABOUT EDUCATION, BOTH PRIMARY AND SECONDARY, AND TERTIARY EDUCATION AND I ALSO SAID QUITE A LOT ABOUT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SOCIAL WORKS SECTOR. BUT IF YOU ARE PARTICULARLY CONCERNED THAT I SHOULD TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES OF BEING A YOUNG PERSON, BEING A TEENAGER SAY, AND HAVING GOT A COUPLE OF TEENAGE DAUGHTERS I'VE THREE TEENAGE DAUGHTERS NOW I THINK I KNOW A LITTLE FIRST HAND ABOUT THE ISSUE; IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT, THEN I AM DELIGHTED TO HAVE ON MY EXECUTIVE COUNCIL ROSANNA WONG WHO KNOWS, COURSE, A VERY GREAT DEAL ABOUT THIS AREA, AND I'M SURE WILL KEEP ME UP TO THE MARK IN MAKING CERTAIN THAT HONG KONG HAS THE SERVICES WHICH YOUNG PEOPLE NEED; BUT ABOVE ALL, WHAT I THINK YOUNG PEOPLE NEED IS THE CHANCE OF DEVELOPING THEIR TALENTS TO THE FULL. THAT'S WHY WE NEED GOOD TRAINING PROGRAMMES, THAT'S WHY WE NEED GOOD SECONDARY SCHOOLS AS WELL AS PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO GO ON INCREASING ACCESS TO TERTIARY EDUCATION.

/QUESTION: GOOD