XN000022-1994-06-30 — Page 8

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THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 1994

QUESTION: PROPOSED

DO YOU THINK

ANY WAY APPROACH

AMENDMENT YOU

WAS BEATEN BY ONE VOTE. SOME PEOPLE ARE SAYING THAT IS A TECHNICAL VICTORY... ? WHAT DO YOU THINK?

GOVERNOR: WHAT I SAY TO THAT IS, I THINK, THAT EVERY DIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBER, EXCEPT ONE, VOTED FOR THE GOVERNMENT. ALL, I THINK, BUT ONE MEMBER REPRESENTING A GEOGRAPHICAL CONSTITUENCY VOTED FOR THE GOVERNMENT. AND IF YOU STRIP OUT OF THE VOTE OF ALL THE APPOINTED MEMBERS, INCLUDING THE OFFICIALS, THERE IS A

VERY, VERY HANDSOME

MAJORITY FOR THE GOVERNMENT. I'VE SAID ALL ALONG THAT THE ONLY WAY WE COULD RESOLVE THESE MATTERS WAS A DEBATE IN THIS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL EVEN THOUGH MANY OF THE PRO-DEMOCRACY POLITICIANS HAVE ARGUED THAT IT WASN'T SUFFICIENTLY DEMOCRATIC, BUT IT'S THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WHICH HONG KONG HAS AT THIS STAGE OF ITS POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT. AND I THINK IT HAS DONE A GOOD AND MATURE JOB AND THE JOB HAS BEEN DONE OPENLY IN FULL SIGHT OF THE PUBLIC OF HONG KONG. NOBODY CAN TALK ABOUT DEALS BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. ONE MORE QUESTION.

QUESTION: BEFORE THE BILL YESTERDAY, I BELIEVE THE GOVERNMENT LOBBIED MANY MEMBERS IN LEGCO. DID THE GOVERNMENT GIVE CONCESSION OTHER AREAS?

GOVERNOR:

NO.

HAS IN

QUESTION:

MON

+ •

+

YOU HAVE SUCCESSFULLY DEFEATED THE MAJOR PARTY ARE THERE SUFFICIENT REASONS TO KEEP YOU HERE OR

YOU CONSIDER THAT YOU MIGHT BEST

A 1

GOVERNOR: CAN I ANSWER, I WOULD LIKE TO THINK FOR THE LAST TIME, A QUESTION WHICH I HAVE HAD AT REGULAR INTERVALS THROUGHOUT THE LAST TWO YEARS. I ACCEPTED THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFER OF THE GOVERNORSHIP OF HONG KONG BECAUSE I THINK IT'S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT AND CHALLENGING JOBS IN THE WORLD. I ACCEPTED THE JOB, GOD WILLING, FOR FIVE YEARS UNTIL JUNE 30, 1997. I ACCEPTED IT WHATEVER HAPPENS ELSEWHERE, WHATEVER HAPPENS IN BRITISH POLITICS, WHATEVER HAPPENS ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD. THERE IS A HUGE AMOUNT STILL TO DO. THERE IS A LARGE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC AGENDA FOR US TO WORK THROUGH. AND TRIS SUMMER, I THINK WE'LL BE SHORTLY FINDING THAT WE ARE SPENDING MUCH OF THE TIME TALKING ABOUT PENSIONS AND HOW TO HELP THE ELDERLY IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS. THERE ARE MANY OTHER ISSUES AFFECTING THE TRANSITION TO CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY, MATTERS AFFECTING THE CIVIL SERVICE. THERE ARE MANY OTHER MATTERS AFFECTING THE FUTURE PROSPERITY AND STABILITY OF HONG KONG. THOSE ARE GOING TO KEEP ME VERY OCCUPIED UNTIL JUST BEFORE MID-NIGHT ON JUNE 30, 1997. NOW, I AM TRYING TO BE AS UNEQUIVOCAL AND CLEAR AS POSSIBLE. I HOPE THAT AFTER YESTERDAY'S DEBATE AND YESTERDAY'S VOTE, PEOPLE WILL RECOGNISE THAT I AM HERE FIVE YEARS, THAT I HAVE A GREAT DEAL MORE THAT I WISH TO DO, WORKING WITH THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND WORKING WITH AN ABSOLUTELY FIRST CLASS CIVIL SERVICE, ONE OF THE BEST CIVIL SERVICES IN THE WORLD. AND I AM NOW GOING TO THANK THEM FOR WHAT THEY DID YESTERDAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

FOR