XN000022-1994-06-09 — Page 18

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THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 1994

GOVERNOR:

מ'ז IF

Ι MUST JUST SAY TO BEGIN WITH THAT

HAD TO PREDICT THE QUESTION WHICH THE HONOURABLE MEMBER WAS GOING ΤΟ ASK, THAT WOULDN'T NECESSARILY HAVE BEEN IT. BUT I RECOGNISE THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT POLITICS IS LOCAL POLITICS AND THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES ARE ONES THAT OR USUALLY THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES ARE THE ONES THAT AFFECT PEOPLE'S LIVELIHOOD WHICH AFFECT WHETHER THEY HAVE TO CLAMBER UP SEVERAL FLIGHTS OF STAIRS, WITH CHILDREN, WITH THE SHOPPING, EVERY DAY, OR WHETHER THEY CAN MANAGE THE PASSAGE IN A LIFT. I WILL CERTAINLY LOOK AT THE QUESTION WHICH THE HONOURABLE MEMBER RAISES. GIVEN HOW QUICKLY, WITH HALF A CHANCE, WE BUILD A TUNNEL OR AN AIRPORT, IT SHOULDN'T TAKE US ALL THAT LONG TO PUT IN A LIFT.

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TRANSCRIPT OF GOVERNOR'S MEDIA SESSION

THE FOLLOWING IS THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEDIA SESSION BY THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, AFTER THE LEGCO QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION THIS (THURSDAY) AFTERNOON:-

QUESTION: GOVERNOR, WHAT IS YOUR REACTION ON YESTERDAY'S COUNCIL WHICH REPROVED YOU ON RATES?

LEGISLATIVE

GOVERNOR: THAT IS POLITICS.

QUESTION: THAT BRIEF, I MEAN, IT IS, YOU KNOW, BAD HISTORY. IT IS HISTORY.

GOVERNOR: NO, WE HAVE A POLITICAL COMMUNITY WHICH IS ON THE ROAD ΤΟ DEMOCRACY. THIS IS ONE STAGE ON THE ROAD TO DEMOCRACY AND I GUESS IT'LL OCCASIONALLY MEAN THAT CRITICAL MOTIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT ARR PASSED. BUT I HAVE TO SAY THAT I THINK THE ISSUE WAS AS THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY SAID, RATHER MORE SLIGHT THAN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL'S REMARKS YESTERDAY.

QUESTION: GOVERNOR, JUST GET TO THE POINT. IF YOU GET THE BILLS FROM EMILY LAU AND CHRISTINE LOH, ARE YOU GOING TO BLOCK THEM OR ARE YOU GOING TO LET THEM IN?

GOVERNOR: I'VE ANSWERED THAT EXTENSIVELY INSIDE. I THINK I'D LIKE TO STICK ON MY ANSWER INSIDE.

QUESTION: WITH DUE RESPECT, GOVERNOR, I DIDN'T HEAR YES OR NO, WILL THEY.....?

GOVERNOR: YOU HEARD AN ANSWER INSIDE WHICH I STAND BY.

QUESTION: BUT DO YOU THINK THE MOTION INDICATED THAT YOUR RELATIONS WITH LEGCO OR WITH UDHK HAVE GONE WRONG OR WHAT?

WITH

THE

LEGCO ARE LEGISLATIVE WITH THEM CREATIVR

GOVERNOR: NO,

I THINK THAT AS FAR AS OUR RELATIONS CONCERNED, WE PASSED 84 BILLS IN THE LAST SESSION. COUNCIL HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB AND EVEN IF WE DISAGREE FROM TIME TO TIME, I HOPE THAT WE'LL HAVE A CONSTRUCTIVE AND DIALOGUE.

/QUESTION: