XN000022-1993-10-07 — Page 17

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1993

ILL,

CONRAD LAM:

MR GOVERNOR, JUST NOW IN THE ANSWER, YOU GAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT ON THE ONE HAND YOU CARED ABOUT THE CHRONICALLY THE INFIRM AND THE AGED. YOU WANT TO STEP UP ASSISTANCE TOWARDS THEM BUT, ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU TALK ABOUT THE CONSULTATION DOCUMENTS TOWARDS BETTER HEALTH. YOU TALK ABOUT THE FUNDING PROBLEM. IT SEEMS YOU GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT YOU WANT TO GET SOME MONEY OUT FROM THE PATIENTS IN ORDER TO DO SOMETHING MORE. MR GOVERNOR, WHEN YOU FORMULATE FUTURE MEDICAL AND CARE POLICIES, ESPECIALLY RELATING TO THE CHARGING POLICY, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT PUBLIC OPINION? WILL YOU RESPECT PUBLIC OPINION?

THE GOVERNOR:

VERY MUCH, AS I AM SURE THE HONOURABLE MEMBER WOULD IN MAKING DECISIONS ON A RANGE OF ISSUES PERHAPS EVEN CONCEIVABLY POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT AMONG OTHERS. BUT LET ME MAKE A SIMPLE POINT

HOPE NOT TOO PROVOCATIVELY. HONG KONG HAS PRODUCED OVER THE YEARS MANY MIRACLES BUT EVEN HONG KONG HAS NOT YET DISCOVERED MONEY-BEARING TREES AND IF WE WANT TO DEVELOP OUR HEALTH CARE FACILITIES, AS WE

DO, IF WE WANT TO GIVE PEOPLE IN HONG KONG THE LEVEL OF SERVICE WHICH THEY DEMAND AND DESERVE, AND WE DO, IF WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT HEALTH INDICATORS IN HONG KONG CONTINUE TO IMPROVE AS THEY HAVE, AND WE

DO, THEN THERE ARE COSTS. NOW, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF WAYS YOU CAN MEET THOSE COSTS. YOU CAN MEET THEM OUT OF GENERAL TAXATION. YOU CAN MEET THEM OUT OF FORMS OF INSURANCE. YOU CAN MEET THEM OUT OF DIFFERENT SORTS OF CHARGE. YOU CAN MEET THEM OUT OF DIFFERENT SORTS OF TARGETTED FEE. THERE IS A RANGE OF WAYS IN WHICH YOU CAN MEET HEALTH COSTS BUT YOU HAVE TO MEET THEM SOMEHOW AND WHAT WE HAVE TO DEVELOP AS A COMMUNITY IS THE FAIREST AND MOST EFFECTIVE WAY OF MEETING THEM WHICH COMMANDS, AS THE HONOURABLE MEMBER SUGGESTED, THE BROADEST CONSENSUS. IN MY EXPERIENCE, AND IT'S NO CRITICISM OF TAXPAYERS ANYWHERE, MOST PEOPLE MOST OF THE TIME WANT IMPROVED PUBLIC

SERVICES, BUT THEY ARE RELUCTANT TO PAY MORE IN TAXES FOR THEM. IN HONG KONG, THANKS TO THE GROWTH RATE IN OUR ECONOMY OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ENJOY LOW TAXES, WHILE ENJOYING IMPROVED PUBLIC SERVICES. WHETHER THAT CAN CONTINUE INDEFINITELY NOT LEAST IN RELATION TO HEALTH CARE WAS THE ISSUE WHICH, QUITE PROPERLY, THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE AND OTHERS WERE KEEN FOR THE COMMUNITY TO DEBATE BECAUSE, LIKE THE ISSUE OF A CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND, IT'S GOING TO BE AN ISSUE WHICH WILL DETERMINE WHAT THIS COMMUNITY IS LIKE IN TEN OR FIFTEEN OR TWENTY, OR TWENTY-FIVE YEARS TIME AND WE'VE GOT TO FACE UP TO IT NOW, THERE ARE ISSUES EVERYWHERE. MRS RODHAM CLINTON, AT THE MOMENT, IS WRESTLING WITH THESE PROBLEMS IN THE UNITED STATES WITH SO FAR GREAT SUCCESS IT SEEMS. WE'VE GOT TO FACE UP TO EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEMS HERE AND I HOPE IN THE PROCESS AVOID MAKING SOME OF THE MISTAKES THAT HAVE BREN MADE IN THE UNITED STATES AND, IF I MAY SAY UNITED KINGDOM AS WELL.

MR BRIC LEE: BEGINNING

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50, IN THE

MR GOVERNOR, IN YOUR POLICY ADDRESS, IN THE IN THE BEGINNING PART, THE PEKING TALKS YOU SAID THAT AFTER SIX MONTHS WE DEVELOPED THE TALKS AND IN THE BEGINNING WHEN LEGISLATIVE DEBATE WAS ABOUT TO START IN THIS COUNCIL AND SAY, PERHAPS THERE IS A LESSON IN THAT. WHAT'S THE MEANING OF THERE'S A LESSON IN THAT? DOES IT MEAN THAT IF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL DOES NOT PROCEED WITH THE SECOND READING OF THE BILL THEN THERE WON'T SPECIFIC PROGRESS IN THE PERING TALKS?

/THE GOVERNOR: