XN000022-1994-02-24 — Page 10

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1994

I WOULD, THOUGH, LIKE TO COME TO THE HONOURABLE MEMBER'S IMPORTANT QUESTIONS AND DO SO IN A WAY WHICH I HOPE - THOUGH IT MAY BE A TRIUMPH OF HOPE OVER EXPERIENCE EVEN TO EXPRESS THE ASPIRATION WHICH I HOPE WILL PREVENT ANY ALLEGATIONS OF BEHIND-THE-CURTAIN OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.

DEALS

THEY WERB

WE HAVE PUT FORWARD, OR WE WILL PUT FORWARD IN LEGISLATIVE FORM TOMORROW, THE 1992 PROPOSALS BECAUSE WE THINK THEY ARE THE BEST AVAILABLE. WE WENT THROUGH 17 ROUNDS OF TALKS AND DURING THE WHOLE OF THAT PERIOD CHINESE OFFICIALS CERTAINLY DIDN'T PUT FORWARD WHAT WE THOUGHT WERE BETTER PROPOSALS. WE WENT THROUGH THE COMPENDIUM OF PROPOSALS PUT BY MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND WE ARE NOT PERSUADED THAT ANY ALTERNATIVES ARE BETTER THAN THOSE THAT WE PUT FORWARD. THE PROPOSALS ARE FAMILIAR TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, NOT ONLY BECAUSE IT HAS VOTED ON THEM A NUMBER OF TIMES BUT BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE PROPOSALS ACTUALLY COME FROM MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. WEREN'T IMPOSED ON THE COUNCIL BY THE EXECUTIVE, MANY OF THEM HOME-GROWN IN THIS CHAMBER. WE ARE GOING TO ARGUE THE CASE FOR THE 1992 PROPOSALS. BUT IT IS TRUE THAT DURING THE NEGOTIATIONS, THE 1993 PROPOSALS SEEMED TO US ΤΟ BE ACCEPTABLE, THOUGH ACCEPTABLE PRINCIPALLY, IF WE COULD SECURE AN OVERALL AGREEMENT WITH CHINA. WE DIDN'T THINK THEY WERE AS GOOD AS THE 1992 PROPOSALS. I SAID, WHEN I SPOKE ΤΟ THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN OCTOBER LAST YEAR, THEY ARB PROPOSALS THAT WE WOULD BE PREPARED TO RECOMMEND TO THIS COUNCIL IF I SAID 'IF'

OVERALL - THEY FORMED PART OF A SATISFACTORY

AGREEMENT WHICH MUST OF COURSE INCLUDE ACCEPTABLE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE THROUGH- TRAIN. NEVERTHELESS, WE DON'T THINK THEY ARE AT ALL BAD PROPOSALS AND WE THINK THAT THEY WOULD PRODUCE CLEAN ELECTION ARRANGEMENTS.

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NOW, IF DURING THE PROCESS OF LEGISLATION, IF DURING THE DEBATES THAT ARE GOING TO TAKE PLACE IN THE COMING MONTHS, THE COUNCIL WISHES MORE HELP FROM THE ADMINISTRATION IN CONSIDERING BOTH THE PROPOSALS WE PUT TO THE COUNCIL, AND ALTERNATIVES, IT IS INCUMBENT UPON US TO PROVIDE THAT ASSISTANCE. THAT I HOPE WE WOULD DO WHATEVER WAS HAPPENING. I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT WE COULD SEE AT THE END OF THE DAY AS BROAD A BODY OF SUPPORT IN THIS COUNCIL FOR THE ARRANGEMENTS PUT IN PLACE, AS POSSIBLE. I THINK THE COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT, I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR THE FUTURE OF THE ELECTORAL PROCESS IN HONG KONG. NONE OF THAT IS TO RESILE FROM ARGUMENT THAT I HAVE ALREADY PUT, THAT I THINK 1992 IS BETTER 1993,

BUT IT IS TO SAY THAT WE WILL HELP THE COUNCIL AS BEST WE COME TO THE MOST SENSIBLE CONCLUSIONS OVER THE NEXT THREE OR FOUR MONTHS, AND I REPEAT THAT IF THAT MEANS PROVIDING MORE INFORMATION, IF THAT MEANS HELP WITH LEGAL DRAFTING, WE WILL PROVIDE IT, WHETHER IT IS ABOUT THE ELECTION COMMITTEE OR CORPORATE AND INDIVIDUAL VOTING, OR WHETHER IT IS ABOUT THE NINE NEW FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES.

THE

THAN CAN,

I WOULD ONLY ADD THIS. FIRST OF ALL, WE ARE NOT MAKING UP THE JULY DEADLINE. NOBODY, IN ALL CONSCIENCE, SHOULD WISH ΤΟ COME ΤΟ CRUNCHES BEFORE IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. THE JULY DEADLINE IS REAL AND IF ONE LOOKS AT THE AMOUNT OF SUBORDINATE LEGISLATION THAT NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH, AT THE ARRANGEMENTS LIKE THE PREPARATIONS FOR VOTER REGISTRATION, ALL THAT IS GOING TO TAKE TIME, SO WE REALLY CAN'T GO BEYOND JULY. MARCH WILL BE TAKEN UP, MUCH OF THE TIME, BY THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY'S DOUBTLESS EXCELLENT BUDGET, WHICH I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING ABOUT JUST AS THE COUNCIL IS. WE DON'T HAVE VERY MUCH TIME AFTER THAT.

/SECONDLY, AND

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