XN000022-1993-07-15 — Page 9

THURSDAY, JULY 15, 1993

MR RONALD ARCULLI: MR CHAIRMAN, I WONDER WHETHER I COULD GO AWAY FROM CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT ISSUES AND ON THE SAME THEME ABOUT DISCUSSIONS WITH CHINA PUT A QUESTION TO THE GOVERNOR, THROUGH YOU SIR, AND THAT IS THIS. IN TERMS OF THE WESTERN HARBOUR TUNNEL

CROSSING AND IN TERMS OF THE SORT OF INTERESTING AND HEATED DEBATE THAT WE'VE HAD OVER THE PAST TEN DAYS OR TWO WEEKS, I WONDER WHETHER IT'S POSSIBLE THAT ON ECONOMIC ISSUES AFFECTING HONG KONG, WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT FORM PART OF JLG AGENDA AND PARTICULARLY IF IT DID, IS IT POSSIBLE, CAN THE GOVERNMENT OR THE GOVERNOR SEE SOME WAY OF TAKING SOUNDINGS, CONSULTING MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL, WHETHER INFORMALLY OR FORMALLY SO THAT SOME SORT OF STEER WOULD BE OBTAINED BY THE GOVERNMENT AND SOME FORM OF YOU KNOW GUIDANCE OR GUIDELINES OR WHATEVER ONE CHOOSES TO CALL IT IN ORDER TO TRY AND ARRIVE AT A TRANSACTION OR AN ISSUE, BEARING IN MIND THE VIEWS THAT MIGHT BE EXPRESSED IN THIS COUNCIL?

GOVERNOR : THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY DIFFICULTIES WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH A SENSITIVE COMMERCIAL NEGOTIATION BUT I GUESS WE'VE ALL IN THIS COUNCIL AND IN THE EXECUTIVE LEARNED ONE OR TWO LESSONS IN THE LAST WEEK OR SO AND IT'S IN OUR INTERESTS, IN THE EXECUTIVE, IF WE TAKE A LEAD IN TRYING TO LEARN FROM THOSE LESSONS AND AVOID SIMILAR DIFFICULTIES IN THE FUTURE. IT WON'T SURPRISE THE HONOURABLE MEMBER TO KNOW THAT I BELIEVE VERY STRONGLY THAT THE DECISION ON THE WESTERN HARBOUR CROSSING IS ENORMOUSLY IMPORTANT NOT JUST FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF HONG KONG BUT FOR HONG KONG'S REPUTATION IN THE INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL COMMUNITY. I THINK THAT THIS COMMUNITY MANAGES BETTER THAN ALMOST ANY OTHER IN THE WORLD TO USE PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT FOR PUBLIC GOOD. IT DOES IT IN AN EXTREMELY COMPETENT, SOPHISTICATED WAY AND I KNOW OF NOWHERE ELSE THAT CAN DO IT AS WELL. FOR THE WESTERN HARBOUR CROSSING TO GO WRONG WILL I THINK RAISE SUBSTANTIAL QUESTIONS IN THE MINDS OF POTENTIAL INVESTORS ABOUT WHETHER HONG KONG CAN CONTINUE TO PRACTISE BOT PROJECTS, PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE FUTURE AS WELL AS IT HAS IN THE PAST AND I THINK FOR THE DECISION TO GO WRONG WOULD ALSO RAISE PERHAPS UNFAIRLY, QUESTIONS IN SOME PEOPLE'S MINDS ABOUT THE POLITICISATION OF ECONOMIC ISSUES IN HONG KONG. SO I VERY MUCH HOPE THAT THE DECISION WILL GO THE RIGHT WAY NEXT WEEK AND I CAN ASSURE THE HONOURABLE MEMBER THAT WE WILL TRY TO LEARN SOME LESSONS FROM THE DISCUSSIONS OVER THE LAST WEEK the SO THOUGH I HAVE TO SAY AS AN EX-LEGISLATOR MYSELF THAT I DIDN'T REGARD IT AS NECESSARILY A ROLE OF THE MOTHER OF PARLIAMENTS TO GET INVOLVED IN EVERY PRIVATE COMMERCIAL SETTLEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR. LOOKING AFTER PUBLIC FUNDS I ALWAYS THOUGHT WAS OUR JOB RATHER THAN POLICING PRIVATE FUNDS.

MISS CHRISTINE LOH: THANK YOU PRESIDENT. WHEN THE FOREIGN SECRETARY WAS HERE LAST WEEK, HE SAID THAT WHEN HE WAS IN PEKING HE BROUGHT UP THE SUBJECT OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE APPLICATION OF THE TWO INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COVENANTS. THE CHINESE REAFFIRMED THEIR COMMITMENT ΤΟ THE PROMISES IN THE JOINT DECLARATION BUT 1 BELIEVE THERE WAS NO SUBSTANTIVE DISCUSSION ON HOW THEY WOULD FULFILL THAT OBLIGATION. ARE YOU AND IS THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT SATISFIED WITH THAT RESPONSE WITH ONLY LESS THAN FOUR YEARS LEFT?

/GOVERNOR