XN000022-1995-07-28 — Page 3

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Transcript of the Governor's media session

The following is a transcript of the Governor, the Rt Hon Christopher Patten's media session in the Central Government Offices this (Friday) afternoon:

Governor: I came down to the Secretariat for my final meeting with the Chief Secretary before I go on leave and I wanted in particular to congratulate the Chief Secretary and her colleagues on the very skilful way in which they piloted so much legislation through the Legislative Council this week. I think it's been an extremely well conducted business. Obviously this has been a momentous week for the Legislative Council. It brings to an end four very successful years for a council the majority of whose members for the first time were there through the process of election.

Despite some of the predictions to the contrary, it's been a successful four years for the legislature during which they have passed almost 400 bills. But of course this week they've passed some particularly important ones. There's been for example, perhaps it's unfair to mention some, but there is the Bill on data protection and there was the Bill on the disabled. The most important piece of legislation to be put on the statute book this week have been first of all the Bill on the Court of Final Appeal which I think is a major building block in the future well-being of Hong Kong. And, I am particularly pleased that we also saw the passage of the Mandatory Provident Fund legislation which is I think by common consent the most important measure of social reform that has been carried through in Hong Kong in recent history, a very, very important measure indeed for the future of the community.

So, I am delighted that we've managed to do so much, working with the Legislative Council over the last four years. I am pleased that it's concluded with these historic decisions taken this week and we will look forward to working I hope equally successfully with the new Legislative council that will be elected through fair and open elections this September. I am sure that we will have as good and occasionally robust but constructive a relationship with the new legislature as we've had with the present one.

Question: Governor, you say you look forward to a good relationship with the next legislature but the fact is, by way of evidence, there were 19 Committee Stage Amendments moved by the Government in the CFA Bill. I've lost track of the number of times some Officials had to stand up and say, "this amendment is to correct a technical error and this is to correct a typing error." There's a lot of haste with which the bill had been moved. Is this not evidence that you lack faith in the legislature which is to be elected in this September by your own rule?