XN000022-1992-12-01 — Page 9

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1992

RONALD ARCULLI:

SIR, YOU'VE STATED ON MANY OCCASIONS THAT YOUR PROPOSALS FOR CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM WILL HAVE TO BE DECIDED IN THIS COUNCIL. WOULD IT THEREFORE NOT BE FAIR AND ACCEPTABLE TO THE THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG THAT WHEN THAT HAPPENS, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, ATTORNEY GENERAL AND THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, SHOULD ABSTAIN FROM VOTING ON YOUR PROPOSALS, SO THAT WHETHER OR NOT SUCH PROPOSALS ARE PASSED

BY WILL IN FACT BE DECIDED BY THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND NOT CIVIL SERVANTS? PARTICULARLY, WOULD IT NOT BE GROSSLY UNFAIR TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG IF THOSE PROPOSALS WERE PASSED BY THREE OR LESS VOTES?

GOVERNOR:

TAKE

THE

FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD CERTAINLY ISSUE WITH THE SUGGESTION THAT CIVIL SERVANTS WEREN'T THE SAME AS PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, PARTICULARLY WHEN ONE IS TALKING

CIVIL ABOUT SERVANTS WHO'VE DEDICATED THEIR LIVES TO THE SERVICE OF THE COMMUNITY. SECONDLY, WE GO STRAIGHT BACK TO THE POINT THAT I WAS ANSWERING IN RESPONSE ΤΟ AN EARLIER MEMBER. IF I WERE TO TAKE THE HONOURABLE MEMBER'S ADVICE, HOW WOULD I RESIST THE PROPOSAL WHICH WOULD DOUBTLESS COME FROM OTHER HONOURABLE MEMBERS SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, THAT I SHOULD SOMEHOW DEVALUE THE VOTE OF THOSE WHO WERE APPOINTED RATHER THAN BE ELECTED TO THE COUNCIL? EXACTLY THE SAME SORT OF ARGUMENTS WOULD

AND I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD BE SENSIBLE, APPLIED,

I DON'T THINK IT

50 WOULD GIVE TIJS HONOURABLE BODY THE CREDIT WHICH IS ITS DUE. CERTAINLY NOT GOING TO PUT MYSELF IN A POSITION IN WHICH I DISTINGUISH BETWEEN ONE SORT OF HONOURABLE MEMBER AND ANOTHER.

I'M

CHIEF

THIS AND CAN

BUT OBVIOUSLY, I VERY MUCH HOPE THAT WE CAN HAVE AS BROAD A BASE OF SUPPORT FOR THE POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG AS IS POSSIBLE. THAT IS MY INTENTION, THAT HAS BEEN MY INTENTION. I'M GLAD THAT ON, I THINK THE 11TH NOVEMBER, THE BODY OF SUPPORT SEEMED PRETTY BROAD, EVEN WITHOUT I THINK THE SECRETARY'S VOTE,

AND I HOPE THAT WHATEVER IS FINALLY AGREED BY COUNCIL CAN HAVE AS MUCH SUPPORT IN THIS COUNCIL AS POSSIBLE, BE A FOUNDATION FOR THIS COUNCIL WORKING MORE SUCCESSFULLY TOGETHER IN THE FUTURE.

AROUSE I DON'T THINK IT'S SURPRISING THAT THESE ISSUES

AND IT PASSIONS IN THIS COUNCIL, THEY'RE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT ISSUES

BE SURPRISING IF THEY WEREN'T DEBATED PASSIONATELY. BUT WE DO WOULD

NEXT HAVE TO LOOK TO, NOT JUST THE NEXT FOUR-AND-A-HALF YEARS BUT THE CAN YEARS, AND HOPE THAT OUT OF ALL THIS

COMB FIFTY-FOUR-AND-A-HALF NOT ONLY A MORE MATURE AND MORE SELF-CONFIDENT LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, BUT

WORKING ALSO ONE WHICH DEVELOPS THE HABIT, WHEREVER TOSSIBLE, OF CO-OPERATIVELY IN THE INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.

+

THE UDHK

UC,

RC.

AS FOR

THE

THE CAN

MR GILBERT LEUNG ·

GOVERNOR, ABOUT THE POLITICAL PACKAGE IN YOUR POLICY ADDRESS, THEY HAVE BEEN CRITICISED BY MANY PEOPLE. OPPOSES

THE EX-OFFICIO SEATS IN THE DB'S AND THE RETAINING THE DB MEMBERS ARE AGAINST SCRAPPING THE APPOINTED SEATS. DEFINITIONS OF THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES AND THE FORMATION OF NOW. MR GOVERNOR, COMMITTEE, THERE ARE VARIOUS VIEWS. ELECTION

THAT YOU YOU CONSIDER PROMPTLY RETRACTING YOUR POLITICAL PACKAGE SO

WITH CAN RECONSIDER THE VIEWS OF ALL SECTORS, THEN YOU CAN NEGOTIATE

CHINESE

AND OPENLY SO THAT YOU FRANKLY

CAN

PACKAGE

ACCEPTABLE TO HONG KONG PEOPLE?

THE

REACH

A

/ GOVERNOR: I