TNAG-1609-FCO40-22131-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1987 — Page 189

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:

remains SO today. I know I speak for

the whole

oll of the

up administration, Sir, when I say that we deeply resent the

fact that our integrity and motivation has been called into

question,

Your address, Sir, provides clear evidence of the

Government's sense of responsibility and its determination

to govern Hong Kong in the overall best interests of the

community. Many of our programmes and plans are designed to

bring benefits well beyond the end of this century. This

reflects the solemn obligation which the British Government

has accepted under the Joint Declaration, that it will be

responsible for the administration of Hong Kong with the

object of maintaining and preserving its economic prosperity and social stability". It is alee an important fact that

the continuation of good government up to and beyond 1997

depends very heavily on the existing body of public servants

by inference l.cand advisers. These are the very people whom/Mr. Lee and Mr. Pang have sought to denigrate in their speeches. It is also-

incumbent upon the Hong Kong Government to continue to

provide sound administration in the territory, and to

exercise responsibly the high degree of autonomy which it

already enjoys under the British Government and which the

government of the future Hong Kong SAR will enjoy under the

Chinese Government. We are determined to meet that

requirement.

Sir,

of

So the Government is not a machine. It is made up with people; people who care about the future, who care about the future of their children; people who above all care deeply about Hong Kong. That it is.