TNAG-1286-FCO40-16372-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong.-Part-2-of-2-1984 — Page 30

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style Legislative Council should not only throw up a majority of the membership of Executive Council, but some of these should be endowed with executive authority as well, taking over responsibility for certain portfolios from Secretaries and becoming answerable for those portfolios in the Legislative

Council.

14.

It

The point here is that people must be convinced that

real influence their future elected representatives will have and this can best be achieved via executive responsibility. is surely self-evident that if people are not convinced that their votes matter, they won't bother to exercise them, whatever persuasive campaigns are mounted to encourage them to do so. Government must make it quite obvious that it recognises how important it is that people should believe that things can be achieved by those they elect.

15.

The

At

Sir, the Government has never published a more important Green Paper. This one is not just of concern to a limited number

of people or particular interest groups. It concerns us all. the same time we must all recognise that representative government is not a panacea. It does not guarantee good government, let alone a better life for all. But if, as a result of the negotiations now in train between HMG and the Chinese Government, the other essential elements of our free society are preserved, then the development of our Government along more representative lines will bring better, more responsive government and should benefit us all.

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pro.

Sir,