TNAG-1361-FCO40-1807-Hong-Kong-Hansard-reports-and-minutes-of-the-meetings-of-the-1985 — Page 50

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DRAFT SPEECH BY HON ALEX WU, CBE, JP LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 27.3.85

Budget Debate 1985

Sir,

I should like to congratulate the Financial Secretary

on the well balanced and sensible budget he has put before us.

The budget succeeds largely in maintaining the delicate balance

between the aspirations and expectations of the people on the

one hand and the stark realities of the fiscal position on the

other. This is no mean feat.

Nevertheless, my endorsement cannot go unqualified.

However sensible, benigh and pragmatic the budget on the whole

may be, certain areas of activity have, I think, been rather

harshly treated. I realise that in times of financial

stringency, it is difficult, even impossible, to satisfy the

many competing claims for funding, however worthy they may all be. In the process of assessing priorities, activities which

are not classified as essential services those which

superficially do not contribute directly towards building the

economy are inevitably and invariably budgetary casualties.

However, to the more enlightened educational,

cultural, and recreational activities of all kinds are as vital

as are economic services to the well-being of our society, and

to the individual and collective fulfilment of generations to

come. We have planted the seeds for the future. We must avoid

damaging the growth of vigorous young plants for reasons of short-term expediency.

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