XN000022-1993-03-05 — Page 6

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FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 1993

THE GOVERNOR:

LEGCO, AS THE EXECUTIVE

HAS DISCOVERED, IN BUDGET DEBATES, IN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT BUDGETS AND SO ON OVER THE LAST YEAR. IS ANYTHING BUT A RUBBER STAMP. I SAY TO HONOURABLE MEMBERS, AND I AM SURE YOU WON'T REGARD IT AS ABUSIVE, THERE ARE OCCASIONS WHERE THE GOVERNOR AND SOME OF HIS COLLEAGUES IN GOVERNMENT QUITE LIKE THE IDEA OF YOU BEHAVING A LITTLE MORE LIKE A RUBBER STAMP. BUT PART OF HONG KONG'S ADMIRABLE POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT IS THAT YOU ARE NOT A RUBBER STAMP FOR THE 28TH BRITISH GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG AND YOU WON'T BE A RUBBER STAMP AFTER 1997 EITHER, AND THAT IS WHAT PART OF THIS ARGUMENT IS ALL ABOUT. PART OF THE ARGUMENT IS ABOUT HOW WE ENSURE THE ACQUIESCENCE OF THE COMMUNITY IN SENSIBLE DECISIONS TAKEN ABOUT THE SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM INTERESTS OF HONG KONG NO RUBBER STAMP HERE!

MR

-

JIMMY MCGREGOR:

GOVERNOR, CHINA TAKES THE POSITION THAT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL HAS NO STANDING IN REGARD TO THE NEGOTIATION OF AGREEMENTS BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN. WILL CHINA BE ADVISED BY THE BRITISH SIDE THAT ANY AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TWO SOVEREIGN GOVERNMENTS MUST BE FINALLY APPROVED BY THE EXECUTIVE AND THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS AND THAT CONCEIVABLY, CHANGES COULD BE MADE IN ANY AGREEMENT REACHED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE WILL OF THIS COUNCIL AND THAT THAT SHALL UNDERSTOOD TO THE CHINESE SIDE BEFORE THESE TALKS BEGIN?

THE GOVERNOR:

BE

I

I HEARD BEING A RELATIVELY EARLY RISER HEARD THE HONOURABLE MEMBER ANSWERING THAT QUESTION EXTREMELY WELL ON THE "TODAY" PROGRAMME THIS MORNING. NONE OF US CAN CHANGE OR SEEK TO CHANGE THE CONSTITUTIONAL REALITIES. ONE OP THE CONSTITUTIONAL REALITIES IS, OF COURSE, THAT SOVEREIGN GOVERNMENTS NEGOTIATE TOGETHER. ANOTHER OF THE REALITIES IS THAT THE PRESENT SOVEREIGN GOVERNMENT, AND 1 IMAGINE THE FUTURE SOVEREIGN GOVERNMENT, WOULD NOT WISH TO COME TO A SOLUTION WHICH WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE TO THE LEGISLATORS AND TO THE COMMUNITY OF HONG KONG WHICH THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT IN THESE NEGOTIATIONS. SO I REPEAT WHAT I SAID A MOMENT OR TWO AGO, I CAN'T IMAGINE CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH THE BRITISH TEAM IN NEGOTIATIONS, IN WHICH THE BRITISH TEAM WHICH WILL, OF COURSE, INCLUDE PEOPLE WHO ARE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, I CAN'T IMAGINE CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH THE BRITISH TEAM AND THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG WOULD REGARD AS ACCEPTABLE SOMETHING WHICH THEY DIDN'T THINK WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO THIS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. THAT IS NOT AN UNDERMINING OF THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE PARTIES TO ANY TALKS,

IT IS A STATEMENT OF POLITICAL REALITY. WHEN ONE TALKS ABOUT SOVEREIGNTY + WIEFN ONE DEFINES SOVEREIGNTY, ONE CAN'T DO IT

THOUGH 047 WAS

SPEAKING IN A POLET ECAL THEORY LABORATORY, ONL

TALKING ABOUT PRACT HAL ISSUES AND I'VE DESCRIBED HOW THINGS wilt. OPERATE HERE IN HONG KONG. FOR ME TO DENY THAT WOULD BE SIMILAR TU ME DENYING THE WISDOM OF GALILEO OR THE FACT THAT THERE IS A HARBOUR IN HONG KONG.

MIZ

MCGREGOR :

SIP

1

IF I MAY

*-

忄

7111 MEN

HAVE

ANSWERED THE LITTLE BIT AT THE END. IN REGARD TO THE POSSIBILITY THAT THIS COUNCEL MIGHT SEEK TO CHANGE ANY ARRANGEMENT REACHED BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS AND THAT THAT SHOULD BE UNDERSTOOD RY THE

I REALERE OF COURSE THERF IS THIS POINT IN REGARD

OUR

CONSTITUTIONAL POGUTTON

BUT THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT SHALL UNDERSTAND THAT VERY CLKARLA FROM THE OUTSET, THAT CHANGES COULD BE MADE BY THIS COUNCIL, WHEN THESE ARRANGEMENTS WERE BROUGHT DOWN

IN TERMS OF LEGISLATION.

—

HERT.

/THE GOVERNOR: