XN000022-1993-05-28 — Page 4

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FRIDAY, MAY 28, 1993

GOVERNOR:

I

I'VE BEEN RATHER AGAINST IMPOSING DEADLINES BECAUSE THINK THAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WANT US TO GIVE THE TALKS IN PEKING THE MAXIMUM CHANCE OF SUCCESS. THE DEADLINE IS REALITY. THE DEADLINE IS

WE THAT

DO HAVE TO HAVE ARRANGEMENTS IN PLACE IN TIME FOR THE 1994/1995 ELECTIONS AND THAT WE NEED TO GIVE THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THE TIME TO CONSIDER THOSE PROPERLY. BUT I THINK IT IS RIGHT AT THE MOMENT AND I SUSPECT THE COMMUNITY THINKS IT'S RIGHT, TO ERR ON THE SIDE OF PATIENCE RATHER THAN IMPATIENCE.

WE I VERY MUCH HOPE THAT WILL MANAGE TO MAKE GOOD PROGRESS IN THE TALKS. NO, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY IS UNDER ANY ILLUSION ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE US TO REACH SATISFACTORY CONCLUSIONS. AT THE END OF THE DAY. THAT'S WHAT ALL OF US WANT TO SEE. BUT THE END OF THE DAY MIGHT NOT BE AS EARLY AS YOU WOULD LIKE AND I WOULD LIKE AND THE COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE. WE CAN'T HANG ABOUT. WE'VE GOT TO WORK HARD. WE'VE GOT TO GIVE THINGS THE CHANCE TO FLOWER AND BLOOM. IT'S SPRING TURNING SUMMER AND WE KNOW THAT IT TAKES A LITTLE TIME FOR BUDS TO TURN INTO BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS.

QUESTION:

SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, YOU SAID IT WOULD BE SUITABLE FOR THE BILL TO BE TABLED WITHIN THIS SESSION. DOES IT MEAN THAT YOU HAVE CHANGED YOUR STAND?

THE

GOVERNOR:

WHAT IT MEANS IS THAT I'M VERY KEEN TO GIVE THESE TALKS ALL THE TIME AND ALL THE CHANCE THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL. I THINK THAT IF I WAS TO SUGGEST ARBITRARY CUT-OFF DATES THIS EVENING, PEOPLE

HONG IN

KONG WOULD BE DISSATISFIED WITH THAT. THEY WOULDN'T THINK THAT WAS A VERY SENSIBLE WAY OF BEHAVING. BUT WE HAVEN'T GOT ALL TIME IN THE WORLD BECAUSE WE HAVE ELECTIONS IN 94 AND 95 AND

NEED TO GIVE THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THE WE DISCUSS THESE

TO CONSIDER MATTERS AND THE COMMUNITY THE TIME PROPERLY. LAST QUESTION.

TIME

BEFORE

BECAUSE THEN TO THEM

QUESTION:

DOES THAT MEAN, GOVERNOR, THAT REALITY MIGHT NOT JULY, REALITY MIGHT MEAN AUGUST, SEPTEMBER?

MEAN

GOVERNOR:

REALITY IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES MEANS THE AMOUNT OF TIME WHICH IT TAKES

THE то REACH A SATISFACTORY CONCLUSION AND GIVE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THE TIME TO PROPERLY DEBATE THAT CONCLUSION WAS QUITE A GOOD ANSWER TO QUITE A DIFFICULT QUESTION.

WHICH

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