XN000022-1994-06-09 — Page 15

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THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 1994

GOVERNOR:

THE ON AUTHORITY HOUSING

WOULD WELCOME MY INTERVENTION IN THEIR DECISION MAKING IN THE WAY THAT THE HONOURABLE MEMBER HAS SUGGESTED, AND I AM NOT SURE THAT THE CONSEQUENCES OF WHAT THE HONOURABLE MEMBER SUGGESTED WOULD ALWAYS BE THAT DESIRABLE. AFTER ALL, SINCE PROPERTY PRICES HAVE FALLEN BY 10% OR 15% IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, ONE COULD, ON BASIS OF THE HONOURABLE MEMBER'S FORMULA, HAVE THE SLIGHTLY SITUATION IN WHICH AT THE SAME TIME AS PROPERTY PRICES

OWNERSHIP SCHEME HAD BEEN FALLING, PROPERTY PRICES

UP HAVE BEEN GOING

FIRST QUESTION, I DON'T THINK THE

HOME HOME

WOULD

THE

BY THE

PERVERSE THE OUTSIDE

INSIDE THE OF RATE

SCHEME OWNERSHIP INFLATION IN THE ECONOMY AS A WHOLE, AND I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD HAVE

WELCOME. BEEN VERY

BEEN I ACCEPT THAT OF COURSE THAT HASN'T

THE SITUATION INVARIABLY OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS BUT NEVERTHELESS IT SHOWS MEMBER THE, I THINK, DANGERS OF AS RIGID A FORMULA AS THE HONOURABLE SUGGESTS.

AUTHORITY HOUSING I THINK THAT THE PRICES CHARGED BY THE HAVE TO BEAR SOME RELATIONSHIP TO WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE MARKET AS A IS TO ENSURE OF COURSE WHAT WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO DO WHOLE, THOUGH THROUGH

CAN AFFORD SCHEME THAT PEOPLE OF MORE MODEST MEANS THE CLIMB THE LADDER TO HOME OWNERSHIP.

rth

-

ΤΟ

SECONDLY, THE HONOURABLE MEMBER IS WHOLLY CORRECT AND I KNOW FROM THE EXAMPLE HE HAS GIVEN AND I KNOW HOW MUCH ATTENTION HE HAS GIVEN TO THE MATTER IS WHOLLY CORRECT TO TALK ABOUT OF THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT TO THE PROVISION HOUSING AT A REASONABLE SPEED AND IF THERE IS SHODDY WORKMANSHIP THAT IS

SO GOING TO SET BACK THE PROVISION OF OUR HOUSING GOALS, HOPE WE

AVOID CAN BOTH PUT INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE IN TIME AND SORT OF PROBLEMS THE HONOURABLE MEMBER REFERRED TO.

THEN I

THE

TS

MR MARTIN LEE: NOW THAT THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG HAS BEEN CENSURED BY THIS COUNCIL, WILL THE GOVERNOR INFORM THIS COPNCIL WHETHER HE NOW PREPARED TO PAY MORE RESPECT TO THIS COUNCEL RY ALLOWING PRIVATE MEMBER'S BILLS TO BE PRESENTED IN RELATION TO HUMAN RIGHTS COMMESSTON AND FREEDOM OF INFORMATION SO AS TO AVOID FURTHER CENSURE MOTIONS, THIS TIME EVEN FROM HIS OWN APPOINTED MEMBERS?

GOVERNOR: I THINK THE HONOURABLE GENTLEMAN HAS PACKED A LOT INTO THAT QUESTION AND PERHAPS HE'LL LET ME UNPACK THE SUITCASE IN MY OWN SPEED OVER THE NEXT FEW MOMENTS.

FIRST OF ALL,

I NOTED THE DEBATE THAT TOOK PLACE IN THE COUNCIL YESTERDAY. I HAVE TO SAY TO THE HONOURABLE MEMBER THAT MUCH THOUGH I ALWAYS ADMIRE HIS SPEECHES, YESTERDAY I SLIGHTLY PREFERRED THE SPEECH MADE BY THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY. THAT IS THE CASE FROM TIME TO TIME BUT I MEAN NO CRITICISM OF THE HONOURABLE MEMBER WHOSE COURAGE AND ELOQUENCE I, LIKE THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY, RECOGNISE.

OF

THE

THAT

WHAT I WILL ALWAYS DO, AND I CAN ASSURE THE HONOURABLE GENTLEMAN THIS, IS TO DEFEND THE RIGHT OF THIS COUNCIL TO BE CRITICAL OF GOVERNMENT OR CRITICAL OF THE GOVERNOR. I VERY MUCH HOPE THAT RIGHT IS ONE WHICH WE CAN TAKE FOR GRANTED, NOT JUST BEFORE BUT AFTER 1997 AND I VERY MUCH HOPE THAT WHILE THAT RIGHT ISN'T EXERCISED TOO FREQUENTLY, THAT WHEN IT IS EXERCISED THE GOVERNOR AND THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE THEIR CHASTISEMENT IN A REASONABLE SPIRIT.

/I THINK

Fran

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