XN000022-1993-11-24 — Page 7

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1993

5

THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IS FIRMLY COMMITTED TO LOCALISATION, WEEK. THE POLICY IS BEING TRANSLATED INTO REALITY EVERY DAY OF EVERY WE HAVE A VERY STRONG PREFERENCE FOR LOCAL RECRUITMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, LAST YEAR

OVERSEAS ONLY 85 OUT OF OVER 11,300 RECRUITS CAME FROM SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN 1%.

OTHER FIGURES

IN

THE

EARLIER QUOTED BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY DEBATE, ABOUT THE FILLING OF SENIOR POSTS AND HIS ASSURANCES ABOUT THE FILLING OF

WHERE FOR PRINCIPAL OFFICIAL POSTS, SPEAK

THEMSELVES. PROGRESS IS UNEVEN, WE HAVE SHOWN THAT WE ARE PREPARED TO TAKE SPECIAL AID MEASURES, SUCH AS THOSE RECENTLY ANNOUNCED IN THE LEGAL AND LEGAL DEPARTMENTS.

WE

SYSTEM

HAVE ALSO FACED UP TO THE FACT THAT THE TRADITIONAL OF CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYMENT, WITH ITS DIVISION BETWEEN SO-CALLED LOCAL

OVERSEAS OFFICERS, AND

IS OUT OF DATE AND WAS IN SOME RESPECTS INCONSISTENT WITH THE BILL OF RIGHTS.

TWO-STAGE

ON OVERSEAS CONDITIONS.

ARE LOCAL THE

то DEAL WITH THIS SITUATION WE HAVE

A ADOPTED APPROACH. THE FIRST STAGE WAS THE INTERIM MEASURE, ANNOUNCED IN JULY, WHEREBY QUALIFIED PERMANENT RESIDENTS CURRENTLY SERVING CONTRACT TERMS COULD APPLY FOR ONE CONTRACT ONLY ON LOCAL PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS NOT THE SAME AS SAYING THAT THEY NOR ITS ACCEPTANCE AUTOMATIC, SO THERE HAS BEEN NO FAIT ACCOMPLI. SECOND STAGE IS THE CONSULTATIVE EXERCISE ANNOUNCED LAST MONTH PROPOSES THAT WE SHOULD ABOLISH LOCAL AND OVERSEAS CONDITIONS AND HAVE A NEW COMMON SET OF TERMS FOR THE FUTURE. AS PART OF THIS EXERCISE WE ALSO NEED TO COME UP WITH A DEFINITION OF WHO IS TO BE "LOCAL", BECAUSE WE LACK SUCH A DEFINITION AT PRESENT.

WHICH

REGARDED AS

BE A FACING UP TO THE FUTURE IN THIS WAY WAS ALWAYS GOING TO PAINFUL PROCESS, AND SO IT HAS PROVED. BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT IT WAS NOT NECESSARY OR THAT WE SHOULD GIVE UP. INDEED WE MUST DOWN THIS PATH IN ORDER TO BUILD A SOLID FOUNDATION FOR

WE HAVE WHEN

DONE SO, THE CIVIL SERVICE WILL BE A MUCH ORGANISATION, AND EVEN BETTER EQUIPPED TO FACE THE CHALLENGES OF

FUTURE.

UNFORTUNATELY

THERE APPEAR

CONTINUE THE FUTURE.

HEALTHIER

THE

TO BE SOME WHO, PERHAPS NOT UNNATURALLY, PREFER TO CLING TO THE MORE FAMILIAR, IF IN SOME WAYS NOW

GROUND OF DISCREDITED,

THE TRADITIONAL. SYSTEM. THIS INCLUDES PERMANENT PROPONENTS OF THE PRIVATE MEMBER'S BILL WHICH SEEKS TO STOP

SWITCHING ΤΟ RESIDENTS

FIRST LOCAL TERMS UNDER THE

STAGE OF OUR

APPROACH.

THAT IN DOING SO I WONDER WHETHER THESE MEMBERS ARE SAYING PERMANENT RESIDENTS ARE NOT HONG KONG PEOPLE, IF SO, WHY NOT. I SHOULD

THE POINT

RIGHT, OUT

RESIDENTS THAT THE BASIC LAW GIVES PERMANENT

OF AMONG OTHER THINGS, TO HAVE PERMANENT IDENTITY CARDS, WITH A RIGHT ABODE HERE, TO VOTE AND TO STAND FOR ELECTION. THE BASIC LAW ALSO SAYS MADE IT THE SAR GOVERNMENT SHALL EMPLOY PERMANENT RESIDENTS. WE'VE

A PERMANENT CLEAR THAT WE ARE PREPARED TO ACCEPT THE DEFINITION OF RESIDENT ALONG THE LINES OF THE BASIC LAW. WE ARE JUST WAITING FOR THE

ΤΟ SIDES

ON BRINGING TWO

FINISH THEIR DISCUSSIONS IN THE JLG ORDINANCE

SAY INTO LINE WITH THE BASIC LAW. SO I IMMIGRATION NOTWITHSTANDING THE DIFFICULTIES, WE SHOULD NOT TURN THE CLOCK WE MUST GO FORWARD FROM HERE. IT IS ABOUT TIME WE FACED UP TO

WE CAN AND WE WILL DO SO, THORNY ISSUES SQUARELY AND DEALT WITH THEM. SUCCESSFULLY, IF WE WILL ONLY LOOK TO THE FUTURE.

OUR

ᎢᎻᎪᎢ .

BACK.

THESE

/FINALLY ON