TNAG-1361-FCO40-1807-Hong-Kong-Hansard-reports-and-minutes-of-the-meetings-of-the-1985 — Page 47

Sir,

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DRAFT SPEECH BY HON FRANCIS TIEN, OBE, LLD, DSoSc, JP LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 27.3.85

Budget Debate 1985

In rising to make a few remarks about the recent 1985 budget, I must first congratulate the Financial Secretary for his new approach. The new approach is to tell us of the "punishment" which we all must suffer before the explanation for the deed. It is rather like reading an Agatha Christie novel backwards or even, following Lewis Carroll's Queen hearing "Sentence first, Verdict afterwards". In any case, the

Those of us who change is indeed useful and constructive. really enjoy budget speeches can hear the treatment proposed and then relax to enjoy the Financial Secretary's easy flow of

discursive explanation.

Sir, on analysis, we discover that these budget proposals intend to turn us, or so it would appear, into a community of saints. The message for all sinners is clear - thou shalt not drink beer or drink certain pernicious soft drinks, thou shalt not smoke, drive cars, fly out of Hong Kong or over indulge in cosmetics the art of painting the face of

the lady.

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This is a hair-shirt budget, a budget of born-again saints who have seen the light held high by the Financial Secretary. A Chinese scholar said food and sex are necessities and he never thought of taxing these things which puts him in the same category as our esteemed Financial Secretary.

However, I must be careful, knowing as I do Sir John's well-recognized capacity for reducing strong critics to due humility. There is in Jamaica a well-known proverb: "Never call an alligator big mouth until you pass him". Sir John is a perfect gentle knight and no alligator. There is however, Sir, an important point to which I would like to make reference.

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