XN000022-1992-10-16 — Page 12

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1992

QUESTION:

MR GOVERNOR, FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU A PIECE OF MY OPINION, I HOPE YOU WON'T MIND. THE NEXT TIME YOU HOLD THIS KIND OF PUBLIC FORUM, YOU SHOULD BE MORE FAR SIGHTED AND LOOK AT THE UPPER DECK. I HAD TO CHANGE MY SEAT IN ORDER TO ATTRACT YOUR ATTENTION.

I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM AND I THINK THE AMOUNT OF SOCIAL ASSISTANCE IS STILL TOO LITTLE. I LIVE AT SHUN LEI CHUN AND I CAN SEE THAT A LOT OF ELDERLY PEOPLE THERE, THEY STILL HAVE TO COLLECT EMPTY CANS AND TO COLLECT THE EMPTY CARTON BOXES FROM THE STREETS TO HELP TO MAKE ENDS MEET. I THINK THEY SHOULD ENJOY SOCIAL SECURITY AND THIS SHOWS THAT THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE THEY ARE GETTING IS NOT ENOUGH AND I HOPE YOU CAN PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THE WELFARE OF THESE ELDERLY AND THE DISABLED. 825 DOLLARS A MONTH IS NOT ENOUGH, THOUGH I MUST SAY THEY ARE NOT TOO LITTLE. SOME PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT RAISING THE AMOUNT FROM 825 TO 1,900. I ALSO THINK THIS IS TOO MUCH, BUT WOULD YOU CONSIDER ADJUSTING THE AMOUNTS ACCORDING TO INFLATION EACH YEAR?

GOVERNOR:

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ABSOLUTELY. LET ME JUST TRY TO RESPOND BRIEFLY SO THAT WE CAN GET ANOTHER QUESTION IN. I THINK THERE IS CONCERN IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE LEVELS AND I'VE TRIED TO ADJUST THEM IN ORDER TO PROVIDE MORE ASSISTANCE BOTH FOR FAMILY MEMBERS WHO AREN'T AT PRESENT RECEIVING A SUPPLEMENT, AND THEIR FIGURE WILL GO UP FROM BETWEEN 600 AND 620 TO 820 A MONTH AND, FOR INDIVIDUALS - PEOPLE LIVING ON THEIR OWN FOR INDIVIDUALS, THE FIGURE WILL GO UP FROM

825 TO 950. THAT'S JUST THE FIRST POINT. BUT THOSE FIGURES ARE IN YEAR'S PRICES. YOU'LL HAVE TO COUNT IN ADDITION, AN INCREASE FOR INFLATION THAT WILL BE PRODUCED NEXT MARCH. I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU AND THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE AND UNSHAKEABLE COMMITMENT WE MUST NOT ALLOW PAYMENTS LIKE THAT TO BE GNAWED AWAY BY INFLATION EVERY YEAR. WE MUST MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE AT LEAST ADJUSTED TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE RISE IN PRICES. THAT IS, I THINK, A DUTY THAT WE OWE THOSE WHO, USUALLY THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN, ARE IN NEED.

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THIS

AND THE LAST POINT I MAKE IS THAT, EVEN THOUGH YOU WERE SITTING UP THERE, YOUR PERSONALITY WAS SO MAGNETIC THAT I FOUND YOU IN THE END.

QUESTION:

MR GOVERNOR, GOOD EVENING. I DIDN'T THINK I WOULD BE GIVEN THIS CHANCE TO SPEAK TO YOU. I THOUGHT YOU HAVE DISCRIMINATION AGAINST FEMALES. BUT AT LAST I HAVE THIS CHANCE. AND, I WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE YOU ON THESE PUBLIC FORUMS. I WANT YOU TO HOLD THEM MORE OFTEN. DON'T BE DISHEARTENED BECAUSE THE PLACE WAS HALF EMPTY LAST TIME. I WOULD COME EVEN IF I WAS THE ONLY ONE, I WOULD COME WITH ALL MY RESPECT AND I WOULD SPEAK TO YOU ONE-TO-ONE.

MR GOVERNOR, YOU ARE SO HARD WORKING AND YOU ARE SO CLOSE TO THE PEOPLE, WE ALL SUPPORT YOU. WHEN YOU GO BACK TO THE UK AND IF YOU RUN FOR THE PRIME MINISTER, THE 6 MILLION HONG KONG PEOPLE WILL NO DOUBT GIVE YOU OUR SUPPORT. IF YOU AGREE TO PAY FOR MY AIR PASSAGE, I WILL BE IN YOUR ELECTIONEERING TEAM.

/I WOULD