XN000022-1993-10-15 — Page 9

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1993

WE'VE

NOW I HAVE TO START WHERE I AM AND OUR LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IS NOT ONLY THE BEST ONE WE'VE GOT, IT'S THE ONLY ONE GOT.

I SAID, IN RESPONSE TO THE EARLIER QUESTION, THAT IT IS NOT USUAL, WHEN POLITICIANS THINK THEY WOULD WIN A REFERENDUM FOR THEM TO BE AGAINST A REFERENDUM. AND GIVEN THAT I SAY THAT I DON'T WANT TO GO EITHER FURTHER OR LESS FAR THAN THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, IT MIGHT STRIKE YOU AS DOUBLY CURIOUS THAT I DON'T WANT TO HAVE A REFERENDUM. BUT EVEN IF WE HAD A REFERENDUM, IT WOULD BE FOR THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO MAKE DECISIONS ON LEGISLATION AFTER THAT REFERENDUM. THE QUESTION THAT YOU WOULD PUT TO A REFERENDUM WOULD BE AN EXTREMELY COMPLICATED ONE. THE GENTLEMAN WHO ASKED A QUESTION EARLIER MIGHT BE IN FAVOUR OF WHAT WE WERE PROPOSING ON FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES BUT LESS IN FAVOUR OF WHAT WE WERE PROPOSING ON THE ELECTION COMMITTEE. THOSE ARE ISSUES WHICH ULTIMATELY ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE DECIDED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. IT IS NOT AN ELECTED LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, THOUGH MANY OF ITS MEMBERS ARE DIRECTLY ELECTED, AND IT IS WORTH BEARING IN MIND THAT THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF THOSE WHO ARE DIRECTLY ELECTED THINK I SHOULD HAVE GONE FURTHER, NOT THAT I AM GOING TOO FAR.

BUT I'M SURE THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF IT COMES TO THIS, THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, WHETHER THE MEMBERS ARE ELECTED OR APPOINTED, WILL WANT TO DO THEIR BEST FOR HONG KONG AND WILL WANT TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WHEN THEY MAKE THEIR DECISIONS.

QUESTION (THROUGH INTERPRETER): FOR YOU.

MR PATTEN, I HAVE THREE QUESTIONS

KEEP THEM NICE AND SHORT OTHERWISE NUMBER THREE WON'T HAVE A CHANCE FOR ANY OF HIS QUESTIONS.

GOVERNOR:

QUESTION (THROUGH INTERPRETER):

NOW MY FIRST QUESTION IS ABOUT THE FLOODING OF THE NEW TERRITORIES. THIS IS A LONG STANDING PROBLEM. THE FLOODING OF THE NEW TERRITORIES AND THE SILTING OF THE SHENZHEN RIVER IS A LONG STANDING PROBLEM BUT THERE IS NOTHING ABOUT THIS IN YOUR POLICY ADDRESS. DO YOU THINK THE GOVERNMENT HAS NEGLECTED THIS VERY IMPORTANT PROBLEM?

THE SECOND QUESTION IS: IN YOUR POLICY SPEECH YOU TOLD US THAT YOU WILL OPEN THE LOK MA CHAU BORDER FOR TWENTY-FOUR HOURS, BUT IF YOU CANNOT SECURE THE CHINESE AGREEMENTS ON THIS ISSUE, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO AND HOW ARE YOU GOING TO BE ANSWERABLE ΤΟ THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG?

MY THIRD QUESTION IS ON MEDICAL CARE. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT BY 1997 THERE WILL BE A VERY GRAVE PROBLEM OF AGING POPULATION IN HONG KONG AND THE HOSPITAL SERVICES WILL BE USED MOSTLY BY THE ELDERLY PEOPLE. BUT DURING THE LEGCO DEBATE MOST OF THE LEGCO MEMBERS ARE STILL IN FAVOUR OF LINKING THE MEDICAL FEES TO COSTS, SO DO YOU MEAN THAT THE ELDERLY PEOPLE HAVE TO BUY THE VERY EXPENSIVE INSURANCE WHICH THEY CAN HARDLY AFFORD, IN ORDER TO PROTECT THEIR LIVEST

/GOVERNOR