TNAG-1366-FCO40-1812-Hong-Kong-Legislative-Council-(Powers-and-Privileges)-Bill-1-1985 — Page 20

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At this point, Sir, I would like to pay tribute, on

behalf of the Government, to the patient, responsible and

tireless manner in which Members of this Council have

discharged their responsibilities in relation to this Bill.

They have not lost sight of the vital objective which is to

create a strong and effective Legislature, capable of taking

its place in the centre of the Hong Kong we are all seeking

to create. They have listened carefully to numerous

representations from many quarters, and often they have had

to follow up statements which could have been made directly to them but which instead have appeared in the columms of

the press. Where these suggestions have been consistent

with the aim of creating an effective Legislature they have

recommended that they should be adopted. But where these

representations have not been consistent with this aim they

have explained their reasons for not supporting them.

Having said that, I would like to stress that this Bill is a

Government Bill. It was a Government proposal that was put

to this Council. There has been no attempt to take shelter

behind Unofficial Members and to shuffle off responsibility

for it, or to hide, as has been suggested, behind the skirts

of Miss Tam. Το that extent this Bill is a shared

responsibility. But the passage of this bill is a matter

for this Legislative Council and once it had been introduced

into this Council it was for the Legislature to make up its

mind about it.