XN000022-1993-11-05 — Page 7

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1993

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GOVERNOR:

WELL, I AM GOING TO TELL THE CABINET, OR REMIND THE CABINET, WHAT THE TIMETABLE IS. THAT WE HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES ΤΟ ADMINISTER HONG KONG AS EFFECTIVELY AS POSSIBLE, THAT WE HAVE OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE JOINT DECLARATION BOTH

TO QUOTE THOSE INDEPENDENT LEGAL EXPERTS AGAIN BOTH THE LETTER AND THE SPIRIT OF THE JOINT DECLARATION, TO MOVE FORWARD AND BROADEN PARTICIPATION IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS IN HONG KONG, WITHOUT IN ANY WAY BEING OUT OF LINE WITH THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THE BASIC LAW AND WE WILL HAVE IN DUE COURSE TO DISCHARGE THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES.

CAN I JUST SAY ONE OTHER QUESTION, THE VERY LAST.

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VERY, JONATHAN, THAT'S THE

VERY

LAST

QUESTION:

THE PWC HAS SUGGESTED THAT IF THERE IS NO AGREEMENT THERE MIGHT BE A PERIOD AFTER 1995

1997, IF THERE WAS NO DIRECTLY AFTER THE

GOVERNOR:

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I THINK THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MEMBERS OF THE PWC WHO HAVE BEEN SAYING SOME PRETTY RUM THINGS SINCE THEY WERE APPOINTED. I SOMETIMES WONDER, WITHOUT BEING DISRESPECTFUL, WHETHER SOME OF THOSE APPOINTMENTS HAVE CAUSED A CERTAIN ANXIETY ON THE PART OF THOSE WHO MADE THEM BECAUSE WE HAVE HEARD SOME VERY CURIOUS THINGS SAID, AND THINGS WHICH MUST MAKE PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WONDER FOR WHOM THE PWC IS ACTUALLY TALKING. I DON'T THINK THAT THAT ODD REMARK, WHICH I THINK ANYBODY WOULD FIND DIFFICULT TO ACCOMMODATE WITHIN THE JOINT DECLARATION, OR THE BASIC LAW, I DON'T THINK THAT THAT ODD REMARK HAS BEEN MADE BY ANYBODY ELSE, CERTAINLY NOT BY SENIOR CHINESE OFFICIALS WHO MAY KNOW, WHO DO KNOW, A GOOD DEAL BETTER ABOUT THEIR OBLIGATIONS AND ABOUT THE EXPECTATIONS PERHAPS OF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG, SO I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS THE LATEST IN A SERIES OF REMARKS BY SOME MEMBERS OF THE PWC WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER NOT MADE. WE HAVE HAD REMARKS ABOUT BANKNOTES, WE HAVE HAD REMARKS WHICH HAVE LED TO THE THREAT OF ACTION IN THE COURTS, WE HAVE HAD REMARKS ABOUT THE BILL OF RIGHTS. IT IS ALL PRETTY CURIOUS BUT IT MAKES ME EVEN MORE DELIGHTED HAVE SUCH SENSIBLE AND WISE MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.

THAT I

PEOPLE

I JUST WANT TO SAY ONE OTHER THING. OBVIOUSLY, FOR VERY MANY IN HONG KONG, FOR TOO MANY PEOPLE IN HONG KONG, THE MAIN CONCERN TONIGHT ISN'T GOING TO BE ABOUT ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE FUTURE, IMPORTANT THOUGH THEY RECOGNISE THEM TO BE, THE MAIN CONCERN IS GOING TO BE ABOUT THEIR WATER SUPPLY OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THE FLOODING IN THE NEW TERRITORIES HAS CAUSED PARTICULAR PROBLEMS IN TUEN MUN, AND THE LANDSLIDE ON LANTAU HAS CAUSED PROBLEMS WITH THE DELIVERY OF WATER TO CHEUNG CHAU.

I'VE HAD REPORTS THROUGH THE DAY DIRECTLY FROM THE SECRETARY FOR WORKS. WE'LL BE WORKING FLAT-OUT 24-HOURS ROUND-THE-CLOCK AS HARD AS WE CAN TO RESTORE FULL WATER SUPPLIES WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN LOST. I HOPE THAT THE COMMUNITIES AFFECTED WILL BEAR WITH US WHILE WE ARE DOING THAT. WE WILL OF COURSE BE MAKING ARRANGEMENTS FOR EMERGENCY SUPPLIES, FOR EXAMPLE, PROVISION OF WATER THROUGH TANKERS, BUT IT RAISES FOR ALL OF US BIGGER AND LONGER TERM QUESTIONS WHICH I HAVE TALKED ABOUT IN THE PAST, IN RELATION TO FLOODING AND THE PROBLEMS IT CAUSES, AND WE MUST OBVIOUSLY DEAL WITH THOSE AS FAST AS WE CAN. BUT IN THE MEANTIME, I WANT TO ASSURE ALL THOSE AFFECTED BY TODAY'S PROBLEMS, BY THE FLOODING, THAT WE WILL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN AS RAPIDLY AS WE CAN TO RESTORE FULL WATER SUPPLY TO THEM AND THEIR HOMES AND FAMILIES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH INDEED.

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