TNAG-1726-FCO40-2439-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 84

1

I

2

3

4

SC 5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

3

dwelt,

Sir, at some length yesterday with the subject of the timing of direct elections and I will not test members' patience further by repeating all the reasons why Government concluded that they should be introduced in 1991, rather than in 1988. I would only like to comment, Sir, on Mr. Martin Lee's speech that he does continue to see sinister machinations where none exist; he has

continued to make great play of the criticism of the AGB, McNair surveys as if these were the only basis on which public opinion was assessed. Indeed, he has described the AGB, McNair surveys

e as the cornerstone of the Government's assessment Sir, this really is an absurd suggestion, as I said yesterday the arguments on what interpretation and weight should be given to any particular form of expression of opinion can go on endlessly, and we have seen

further evidence of that this afternoon.

15

16

17

SC18

19

8220

21

Sc/22

23

24

I wish to emphasise that the Government has taken into account all views and not just any particular survey or any particular form of submission. Indeed, it seems to me, Sir, that it is Mr. Lee who is being selective and who is again focussing on A,GB, McNair and not

ourselves.

Mr.Lee has taken the arguments one stage further in his selectivity by suggesting today that we should pay attention to the judgment of a Mr. Norman Webb as to what the people of Hong Kong would like to see in the development of representative government

here.

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

8c 32

33

34

35

36

May I make, Sir, a general point by way of emphasis on the Government's position? From the time that we first launched the Green Paper last year, we have made it clear on a large number of occasions that the views of the people of Hong Kong would be the most important factor to be taken into account when Government consider the way forward for political developments here. Miss Dunn said yesterday that if the Survey Office report had reflected the degree of support for direct elections in 1988 as it did for the principle of introducing direct elections, then the Executive Council would have advised the Government that direct elections

should indeed be introduced in 1988.