XN000022-1994-10-26 — Page 18

NJ

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1994

MY SECOND CONCERN IS THE IMPACT THAT DEBATES OF THIS KIND HAVE ON THE CIVIL SERVICE. THIS IS A POINT THAT WAS RAISED BY MR JIMMY MCGREGOR, MR ERIC LI, MR MARTIN BARROW, MR MARVIN CHEUNG AND MR VINCENT CHENG, AND I AM GRATEFUL TO THEM FOR MAKING IT. I AM SURE THAT MOST, PERHAPS ALL, MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL RECOGNISE THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING A STABLE CIVIL SERVICE DURING THE YEARS AHEAD. BUT I DO NOT THINK MANY MEMBERS REALISE THE DAMAGE THAT THEY CAN DO BY CONSTANT CRITICISM. OUR CIVIL SERVANTS WORK VERY HARD ΤΟ RUN SERVICES FOR MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY; THEY WORK VERY HARD TO DEVELOP AND PROMOTE PROPOSALS FOR NEW AND IMPROVED SERVICES. Ι KNOW THAT MANY OF THEM WONDER WHETHER THEIR EFFORTS ARE WORTHWHILE WHEN MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL SEEM TO USE EVERY AVAILABLE PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO CRITICISE AND BELITTLE THEM. MR PRESIDENT, THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MONITORING THE WORK OF THE GOVERNMENT AND UNDERMINING THE MORALE OF ITS OFFICIALS. I HOPE THAT IN CARRYING OUT THE FORMER, IS THEIR DUTY, HON. MEMBERS WILL BE SENSITIVE TO THE DANGER OF LATTER.

AS

THE

RELATIONS BETWEEN THE EXECUTIVE AND THE LEGISLATIVE

MANY MEMBERS COMMENTED ON THE ROLE OF THIS COUNCIL AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE EXECUTIVE. THE VIEWS EXPRESSED WERE, PERHAPS INEVITABLY, VARIED, BUT A NUMBER OF MEMBERS COMPLAINED THAT THE ADMINISTRATION IGNORED MEMBERS' VIEWS AND DID NOT ALLOW THIS COUNCIL ΤΟ CARRY OUT ITS MONITORING ROLE. I CAN ONLY SAY THAT IT LOOKS VERY DIFFERENT INDEED FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE! I DO NOT THINK ANY NEUTRAL OBSERVER, AND CERTAINLY NO CIVIL SERVANT, WOULD DENY THAT THE IMPACT THAT MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL HAVE ON THE ADMINISTRATION THROUGH THEIR MONITORING AND QUESTIONING OF ADMINISTRATION POLICIES IS FAR GREATER THAN IT WAS 10, OR EVEN 5, YEARS AGO. DR YEUNG SUM'S SUGGESTION THAT WE PRACTISE "COLONIAL DICTATORSHIP" SEEMS TO ME EXTRAORDINARY AND FAR REMOVED FROM THE TRUTH. IN FACT, OF THE 121 MOTIONS DEBATED IN THIS COUNCIL SINCE 1991, IN ONLY 15 CASES HAS THE ADMINISTRATION FOUND ITSELF UNABLE TO ACCEPT THE COUNCIL'S VIEWS.

IT IS NO SECRET THAT THE ADMINISTRATION BELIEVES IN EXECUTIVE- LED GOVERNMENT. BUT THIS COUNCIL NEVERTHELESS HAS GREAT POWERS, AND MAKES USE OF THEM. MEMBERS CAN, AND DO, AMEND, OR EVEN REJECT, THE ADMINISTRATION'S LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS. MEMBERS CAN, AND DO, REFUSE TO ACCEPT THE ADMINISTRATION'S EXPENDITURE PROPOSALS. MEMBER CAN, AND

DO, SET UP SELECT COMMITTEES OR INQUIRIES INTO ASPECTS OF THE ADMINISTRATION'S ACTIVITIES THAT THEY ARE NOT SATISFIED WITH. MEMBERS CAN, AND DO, RAISE ALMOST ANY SUBJECT FOR DEBATE. THE ADMINISTRATION DOES NOT ALWAYS LIKE IT WHEN YOU EXERCISE THESE POWERS, BUT WE ACCEPT THAT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO THIS. WE DO NOT, HOWEVER, ACCEPT THAT IT IS RIGHT FOR YOU TO TAKE OVER THE POWERS OF THE EXECUTIVE. AND WE RESERVE THE RIGHT NOT ALWAYS TO AGREE WITH YOUR VIEWS, JUST AS YOU RESERVE THE RIGHT NOT ALWAYS TO AGREE WITH OURS.

/SOME MEMBERS