XN000022-1993-03-05 — Page 4

FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 1993

GOVERNOR:

I'VE BEEN IMPRESSED BY THE EXTENT то WHICH THE WHOLE COMMUNITY AND NOT JUST MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL HAVE RESPONDED ΤΟ THE PROPOSALS WHICH WERE PLACED ON THE TABLE AT THE BEGINNING OF OCTOBER. HONOURABLE MEMBERS WILL KNOW THAT MANY OF THE PROPOSALS WHICH ARE CONTAINED IN THE COMPENDIUM OF ALTERNATIVES THAT WE'VE PUT FORWARD, COME FROM MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY OUTSIDE THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. SO THERE IS HUGE INTEREST, QUITE PROPERLY ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY IN HOW WE DEVELOP OUR POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS. BUT WHEN [T COMES TO ENACTING LEGISLATION, FOR EXAMPLE, AND LEGISLATION WILL BE THE BASIS FOR GOING FORWARD WITH THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE '94 AND '95 ELECTIONS THEN IT IS THIS COUNCIL WHICH REFLECTS THE VIEWS OF THE COMMUNITY. I THOUGHT THE HONOURABLE MEMBER AND SOME OF HIS COLLEAGUES AND THE HONOURABLE MEMBER SITTING IN FRONT OF MB, MADE THE POINT EXTREMELY WELL THIS WEEK WHEN THEY EXPLAINED THE CONSTITUTIONAL REALITIES OF HONG KONG AND WE MUST REMEMBER THE CONSTITUTIONAL REALITIES AREN'T JUST AS DRY AS DUST ARGUMENTS IN LEGAL TEXTBOOKS, THEY'RE ABOUT THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF THE PEOPLE OF THE COMMUNITY. SO AT THE END OF THE DAY WE'LL OBVIOUSLY BE DEBATING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL PROPOSALS FOR THE 94 AND '95 ELECTIONS, [ HOPE PROPOSALS WHICH ARE THE RESULT OF SUCCESSFUL TALKS WITH CHINA

IF THOSE TAKE PLACE. WE WON'T BE ABLE TO TAKE THAT DEBATE IN A FORMAL SENSE OUTSIDE THIS COMMUNITY, THOUGH THE WHOLE COMMUNITY WILL BE EXTREMELY INTERESTED IN THE OUTCOME.

MR FRED LI (THROUGH INTERPRETOR):

MR CHAIRMAN, THIS IS

NOW THE FOURTH TIME THAT WE ARE DEFERRING THE GAZETTING OF THE BILL. WE HAVE SOME TIME CONSTRAINTS NOW, GOVERNOR, WHEN DO YOU EXPECT WILJ. BE THE LATEST DATE FOR THE LEGCO TO PASS THIS REFORM BILLS AND WITH REGARD TO THE SUBSTANCE OR CONTENT OF THE NEGOTIATIONS, WILL THE CONTENT BE AS THE SFVEN ITEMS INCLUDED IN YOUR POLICY ADDRESS DELIVERED IN OCTOBER?

סיו

GOVERNOR :

THE HONOURABLE MEMBER IS QUITE RIGHT IN SAYING THAT THE FACT THAT WE HAVE DEFERRED GAZETTAL FOR FOUR FRIDAYS RUNNING, SUGGESTS THAT WE'RE PROCEEDING WITH GREAT CARE. NOBODY COULD ACCUSE US OF RUSHING AHEAD, WE HAVE DONE ALL WE CAN

BE CONCILIATORY, TO PROVIDE EVERY OPPORTUNITY FOR TALKS. I DON'T THINK ONE SHOULD BELIEVE HOWEVER THAT TO BE AS POSITIVE AND CONSTRUCTIVE AND CONCILIATORY AS WE HAVE BEEN MEANS THAT ONE ABANDONS. ANY OF ONE'S PRINCIPLES.

THINK ONE'S PRINCIPLES ARE PERHAPS BETTER ADVOCATED

WHEN ONE'S ABLE TO DO SO IN THE RATIONAL AND POSITIVE SPIRIT WHICH WE'VE SHOWN IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS AND WHICH I TRIED TO SET OUT IN MY SPEECH TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL LAST OCTOBER. I REFER HONOURABLE MEMBERS, POR EXAMPLE, TO PARAGRAPH 128 OF MY SPEECH ON THAT OCCASION, WHILE WE HAVE DEFERRED GAZETTAL POUR FRIDAYS, WE OBVIOUSLY CAN'T DEPER GAZETTAL INDEFINITELY. THE MORE WE DEFER GAZETTAL, THE LESS TIME THERE IS FOR ANY TALKS WHICH MAY, I HOPE, TAKE PLACE. BECAUSE AFTER TALKS, WHICH I'M SURE THE WHOLE COUNCIL. HOPES WIL). TAKE PLACE AND PRODUCE AN OUTCOME WHICH IS FAIR AND OPEN AND ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND ACCEPTABLE IN LONDON AND ACCEPTABLE 1

IN PEKING, AFTER THOSE TALKS WE WILL HAVE TO ENACT LEGISLATION AND IP ONE WORKS BACK FROM THE END OF THE PROCESS, ONE SEES THAT WE'RE NOT DEALING WITH INFINITY. WE'RE DEALING WITH A CALENDAR IN WHICH THE HONG KONG CLOCK TICKS JUST AT THE SAME PACE AS THE ONE IN PEKING AND

ONE IN LONDON.

THE

/GOVERNOR: