XN000022-1996-04-27+28 — Page 3

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Governor: I thought the architectural plans unveiled the other day were interestingly ambitious, I think that's a euphemistic way of describing them. I'm not sure that the Chief Executive would actually need a house four times as large as the one that I rattle around in order to do his or her job, and I would have thought that the Legislative Council after 1997, however it is composed, would have cause to reflect on the costs of a Chief Executive residence of that size. As for the future for Government House, well, that 's a matter for the Chief Executive to decide. It is a great historical monument in Hong Kong and I'm sure that if in due course it's turned into a museum, among the things it will be able to celebrate in the items on show will be the contribution that the rule of law and political as well as economic freedom made in this city to ensure that hundreds of thousands of refugees were able to carve out for themselves here a decent and civilised life.

Question: Are you still holding a firm stand on the provisional legislature?

Governor: Yes, of course.

Question: There is no provisional legislature before 1997.

Governor: No.

Question: But Anson Chan said that she is willing to accept such differences....

Governor: We recognise that the, I'm putting the point mildly, that the Chinese side don't agree with us on that, but our position has been clear, is clear, will continue to be clear, full stop.

Question: Do we now know more about how Preparatory Committee would like to make use of the RTHK to promote this... and how can the Government ensure that ...?

Governor: Well, there is a statutory basis to RTHK's editorial independence. I listen to RTHK every day. I hear people occasionally saying things I prefer not to hear. But that's what happens in a free society, and I would defend to the death, which I hope doesn't prove necessary, RTHK's editorial independence. It is an important part of life in Hong Kong. So whereas I'm sure it's important for us to have more information about the Preparatory Committee, I don't think that anybody who is a member of the Preparatory Committee, who has read the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law could possibly think that the Preparatory Committee's work could trample over the editorial independence of RTHK. One more.