TNAG-1724-FCO40-2437-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 95

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I think this unseemly haste in removing Urban

Councillors from their exofficio

officio seats on District Boards has

been most regrettable and not at all in the wider public

interest. In the AGB McNair Survey report, and in the other

survey reports mentioned in the Survey Office's official report,

it was made clear that the public by and large were quite happy for Urban Councillors to continue with their exofficio District It Board seats. So why the undue haste in rushing through this

Bill? Why did the Government not decide on the wiser course of

first publishing the White Paper before putting into effect any of

the proposed changes?

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Surely it would have been more timely if the proposed

changes as stated by the Chief Secretary on the exofficio membership of Urban Councillors on District Boards 'were to take place in 1991.

Urban Councillors could hardly have opposed removal of

the existing restriction on Urban Councillors from holding an

elected seat in a District Board, in view of the Chief Secretary's

statement that the Government intends to discontinue their

officio membership on District Boards from 1989.

exit

Contrary to the views of District Board members, the general public is in favour of Urban Councillors retaining their ex officio links.

I would therefore urge that the exofficio link should still be kept even after 1989 for all Urban Councillors who choose

run or fail to get elected on District Boards.

I urge my fellow Councillors to vote against the Bill as a matter of principle, since it is poorly timed and the future implications had pre-empted the White Paper and are not at all beneficial to the Urban Council itself nor to the public as a

whole.

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