XN000022-1993-07-14 — Page 11

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 1993

MOTION DEBATE ON EXCO AND LEGCO RELATIONS

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FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THE SPEECH BY THE SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS, MR MICHAEL SZE, IN THE MOTION DEBATE ON WORKING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE EXECUTIVE AND THE LEGISLATURE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TONIGHT:

MR PRESIDENT,

I AM GRATEFUL TO THE HONOURABLE VINCENT CHENG FOR INTRODUCING A MOTION DEBATE TODAY ON THIS IMPORTANT SUBJECT WHICH BEARS ON THE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG. I CAN SAY UP-FRONT THAT MY EX- OFFICIO COLLEAGUES WILL VOTE IN SUPPORT OF THE MOTION.

LET ME BEGIN BY STATING WHAT THE GOVERNMENT'S GUIDING PRINCIPLE IS. IN THE WORDS OF THE GOVERNOR, WHEN HE ADDRESSED THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN OCTOBER LAST, OUR INTENTION IS "TO ENSURE

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THAT WE HAVE VIGOROUS AND EFFECTIVE EXECUTIVE-LED GOVERNMENT THAT IS PROPERLY ACCOUNTABLE TO THIS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL". TO ACHIEVE THAT OBJECTIVE, THE FOLLOWING CHANGES HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN THE CURRENT LEGCO SESSION:

FIRST, WR HAVE SEPARATED THE NON-OFFICIAL MEMBERSHIP OF THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS, SO AS ΤΟ ALLOW BOTH COUNCILS TO PLAY THEIR PROPER ROLES. AT THE TIME, WE ENVISAGED THAT WITHIN THIS COUNCIL, POLITICAL PARTIES AND GROUPS COULD BE FREE ΤΟ DEVELOP THEIR PROGRAMMES AND PLATFORMS, WITHOUT THE CONSTRAINTS THAT MEMBERSHIP OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL WOULD IMPOSE.

THAT, AS EVERYONE NOW KNOWS, HAS HAPPENED. WE HAVE SEEN, OVER THE LAST YEAR, THE FORMATION OF A SUBSTANTIAL POLITICAL PARTY, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF OTHER POLITICAL GROUPS IN THIS COUNCIL. TRAT HAS INDEED MADE THE DEBATES OF THIS COUNCIL A MUCH LIVELIER AFFAIR. AND, ON THE WHOLE, THIS COUNCIL HAS FULFILLED ITS ROLE AS AN EFFECTIVE FORUM FOR THE EXPRESSION OF THE WISHES OF THE COMMUNITY.

SECONDLY, THIS COUNCIL NOW HAS ITS OWN ELECTED PRESIDENT, AND THIS ENABLED THE GOVERNOR TO BE ANSWERABLE TO THIS COUNCIL AS THE HEAD OF GOVERNMENT. INDEED THE GOVERNOR HAS DONE SO THROUGH HIS QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSIONS WITH THIS COUNCIL, OF WHICH THERE WERE 8 IN THE PAST YEAR, AND THE 9TH WOULD TAKE PLACE TOMORROW. THE GOVERNOR HAVE ALSO HAD MANY MEETINGS WITH MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL, INDIVIDUALLY AND IN GROUPS. FURTHERMORE, SENIOR OFFICIALS, INCLUDING THE CHIEF SECRETARY, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HAVE GIVEN MANY BRIEFING SESSIONS TO MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL AND POLICY SECRETARIES KEEP IN REGULAR AND CLOSE TOUCH WITH MEMBERS OF THE RELEVANT LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL PANELS. THESE CONSULTATIONS AND BRIEFINGS ARE FAR FROM BEING SUPERFICIAL AS ONE MEMBER CLAIMED. FOR EXAMPLE, THE CONSULTATIONS CARRIED OUT BY THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY

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TO

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BUDGET RECOGNISED BY MANY MEMBERS AS GENUINE CONSULTATION SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTED THE CONTENT OF THE BUDGET.

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WAS WHICH

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