XN000022-1993-10-07 — Page 28

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1993

ON THE HOUSING AUTHORITY'S DOUBLE-RENT POLICY, I HAVE TO SAY THAT I DON'T THINK IT IS UNREASONABLE THAT TENANTS WHO ARE MUCH BETTER OFF THAN OTHERS SHOULD SEE THAT REFLECTED IN THE RENT THEY PAY. IF YOU EARN, AS A HOUSEHOLD, THREE TIMES AS MUCH, WHICH IS THE STARTING POINT, THREE TIMES AS MUCH AS THE INCOME LEVELS FOR ALL HOUSING AUTHORITY TENANTS, IF YOU'VE BEEN A HOUSING AUTHORITY TENANT FOR OVER TEN YEARS, I DON'T THINK IT IS UNREASONABLE THAT SHOULD BE REFLECTED IN YOUR RENT, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE UNEQUAL IF IT WASN'T.

THERE

['LL TURN TO RELATIONS WITH CHINA.

ARE SOME PEOPLE WITH A LOT LONGER MEMORIES THAN PERHAPS YOU AND

ME,

MEMORIES THAT GO BACK NOT JUST TEN YEARS BUT TWENTY OR THIRTY YEARS, AND THEY WILL REMEMBER PERIODS OF FAR GREATER TURBULENCE AND FAR GREATER DIFFICULTY THAN WE'VE BEEN THROUGH IN THE LAST YEAR. AND DESPITE THOSE DIFFICULTIES, HONG KONG HAS CONTINUED TO DO WELL, HAS CONTINUED TO PROSPER. WHY? BECAUSE OUR SYSTEM WORKS. THE LAST UNRESOLVED ISSUE OF THE TRANSITION WAS THE QUESTION OF THE ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR 1994 AND 1995.

MAYBE ONE REASON WHY IT HADN'T ALREADY BEEN RESOLVED IS BECAUSE IT IS RATHER A DIFFICULT QUESTION, I'M NOT GOING ΤΟ ASK YOU TO LET US RESOLVE IT IN A WAY WHICH I THINK WOULD DAMAGE HONG KONG, BOTH TODAY AND IN THE FUTURE. PEOPLE TALK ABOUT POLITICAL TURMOIL OR POLITICAL INSTABILITY. WHERE IS THE TURMOIL OR THE INSTABILITY IN HONG KONG? I CAN POINT TO THAT IN SOME OTHER PLACES IN THE REGION BUT IT DOESN'T HAPPEN HERE IN HONG KONG.

QUESTION:

THANK YOU MR GOVERNOR. I AM GOING TO ASK A SHORT QUESTION WHICH YOU WILL FIND VERY DIFFICULT TO ANSWER.

GOVERNOR:

QUESTION:

THANKS FOR THE WARNING.

IF THERE IS NO DEAL WITH CHINA AND YOU ARE FORCED TO GO ΤΟ LEGCO ALONE, BEFORE YOU DO SO, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE TWO PROPOSALS IN HAND, SO BEFORE YOU GO TO LEGCO ALONE, WOULD YOU OPEN A CONSULTATIVE MEETING LIKE THIS TO ASK OUR OPINION?

GOVERNOR:

1 THINK THAT IF THAT EMERGES WE WILL NEED NOT JUST ONE MEETING LIKE THIS BUT A LOT OF MERTINGS LIKE THIS. LET ME MAKE TO YOU A VERY SIMPLE POINT WHICH I MADE TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL YESTERDAY.

IN MAKING DECISIONS ON THESE ISSUES WE ALL KNOW THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT MATTERS WHICH WILL AFFECT, AND CAN AFFECT FUNDAMENTALLY, THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG AND OF ALL THE FAMILIES WHO LIVE IN HONG KONG. SO ! MAKE THIS POINT NOT AS AN ABDICATION OF LEADERSHIP BUT AS A SIMPLE STATEMENT OF A PRINCIPLE ON WHICH HAVE TO STAND. I CAN'T GO FURTHER, THE GOVERNMENT CAN'T GO FURTHER THAN THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WISH US TO GO. BUT NOR CAN WE GO LESS FAR. WHEN I LEAVE ON THE 30TH OF JUNE 1997 ] DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO SAY IF ONLY HE'D GONE FURTHER DONA WHAT WE ALL WANTED HOW MUCH BETTER THE FUTURE WOULD LOOK. COURSE, I HAVE TO GIVE A LEAD, OF COURSE I HAVE TO TELL YOU WHAT MY JUDGMENT IS ABOUT WHAT WOULD BE BEST FOR THE COMMUNITY, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I CAN'T GO FURTHER THAN THE COMMUNITY WANTS TO GO. I SAY THAT ABSOLUTELY CLEARLY ON BEHALF ON MYSELF, ON BEHALF OF THE KONG GOVERNMENT AND ON BEHALF OF THE UNITED KINGDOM GOVERNMENT.

AND OF

HONG

/QUESTION: