XN000022-1992-10-16 — Page 6

5

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1992

AFTER I SAW SO MANY FAMILIAR FACES, I WENT TO MAKE A LITTLE INVESTIGATION AND I FOUND OUT THAT THE CNTA WAS GIVING OUT TICKETS TO THESE MEMBERS OF THE THREE-TIER COUNCILS. BUT IT IS VERY UNFAIR FOR US COMMON CITIZENS OF HONG KONG, WE HAVE ΤΟ QUEUE-UP, PRODUCE OUR ID CARDS, TO GET TWO TICKETS EACH. SO UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, I MIGHT AS WELL TELEPHONE MR LI OF 'HONG KONG IN THE NINETIES', WHY DO I HAVE TO COME HERE? BUT THIS EVENING I STILL CAME HERE. MY MAIN OBJECTIVE IS TO GIVE YOU SUPPORT BECAUSE LAST TIME I HEARD THAT THERE WERE NOT TOO MANY PEOPLE AND THE PEOPLE WERE SAYING THAT THIS KIND OF QUESTION TIME IS LOSING ITS POPULARITY AND PEOPLE ARE NOT INTERESTED. SO I WANT TO COME HERE TO SUPPORT YOU. WELL, WHY THE VENUES ARE NOT FILLED-UP, I THINK THERE ARE TWO REASONS. BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE HAVE GOT THE TICKETS AND THEY DON'T COME. AND THE SECOND REASON IS, A LOT OF PEOPLE CAME BUT THEY DON'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS, SO WHY BOTHER? LASTLY, I WANT TO SAY THIS, JUST LIKE THE OTHER GENTLEMAN WHO TALKED ABOUT THE TEXTBOOKS, IT HAS BEEN SAID SO MANY, MANY TIMES BEFORE, THEY HAVE BECOME CLICHES, SO NEXT TIME YOU HOLD ANY SUCH FUNCTIONS THERE MUST BE RULES AND REGULATIONS. MEMBERS OF THE THREE-TIER COUNCILS MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO ASK QUESTIONS. ORGANISATIONS AND GROUPS MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO ASK QUESTIONS, AND NOBODY CAN GIVE YOU LETTERS OR PETITIONS.

GOVERNOR:

WE'LL

I'LL TELL YOU HOW I THINK WE'LL HAVE TO DO THINGS IN THE FUTURE.

HAVE TO MAKE YOU THE CHAIRMAN. CAN I JUST MAKE TWO OR THREE THINGS ABSOLUTELY CLEAR. FIRST OF ALL, SO FAR AS THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG IS CONCERNED, THESE OCCASIONS ARE FOR YOU, THEY'RE FOR THE MEN AND WOMEN AND YOUNG PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. AND THEY'RE NOT JUST A GIMMICK; THEY'RE NOT JUST, AS SOMEBODY RATHER RUDELY SAID THE OTHER DAY, A SHOW; THEY'RE FROM NOW ON GOING TO BE PART OF THE WAY THAT HONG KONG IS GOVERNED. I'M GOING TO DO THEM, NOT JUST AFTER MY LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SPEECH EVERY YEAR, BUT I'M GOING ΤΟ DO SOME DURING THE YEAR AS WELL, BECAUSE I THINK YOU HAVE A RIGHT то ASK ME QUESTIONS.

SECONDLY, I'M SURE THE BILL OF RIGHTS WOULD TELL ME THAT MEMBERS OF DISTRICT BOARDS HAVE RIGHTS TOO. THERE'S A MEMBER OF A DISTRICT BOARD OVER THERE. TO BE PERFECTLY HONEST, WHEN I POINT INTO THE AUDIENCE TO ASK SOMEBODY TO ASK A QUESTION I'LL LET YOU INTO A SECRET FIRST OF ALL, I VERY RARELY KNOW WHO EXACTLY I'M POINTING AT. SECONDLY, VERY OFTEN THE PERSON I'M POINTING AT ISN'T THE PERSON WHICH IS UP ASKING THE QUESTION. AND OF COURSE YOU'RE RIGHT AS WELL, ΤΟ SAY THAT THERE'S NOT VERY MUCH POINT IN INDIVIDUAL GROUPS TRYING ΤΟ USE A QUESTION ON AN OCCASION LIKE THIS TO MAKE A DEMONSTRATION

IN ORDER TO GET SOME PUBLICITY. BUT I DARESAY THAT DESPITE THE FACT THAT YOU AND OTHERS FEEL AS YOU DO, SOME PEOPLE WILL CONTINUE ΤΟ BEHAVE LIKE THAT AND AFTER ALL. IT'S A FREE SOCIETY, AND THAT MEANS THAT WE HAVE, WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF THE LAW, TO LET PEOPLE BEHAVE LIKE THAT AND DEAL WITH IT WITH AS MUCH GENEROSITY OF SPIRIT AS WE CAN MANAGE.

QUESTION:

MR PATTEN, FIRST OF ALL, I DO NOT BELONG TO ANY GROUP AND I QUEUED UP TO GET MY TICKET. I WANT TO ASK QUESTIONS ON HOUSING, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE YOUR OPINION. WELL, MY QUESTION IS DIVIDED INTO TWO PARTS, PLEASE BEAR WITH ME.

IT'S A QUESTION ON THE HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME. IT IS THE GOVERNMENT'S MEASURE TO FIGHT THE PROPERTY PRICES BUT WHY IS IT THAT THE PRICES OF THE HOME SCHEME ARE STILL LINKED WITH THE SO-CALLED MARKET PRICE?

HIGH OWNERSHIP

/AND SECONDLY,