TNAG-1734-FCO40-2447-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 84

DRAFT

DRAFT SPEECH BY HON ANDREW WONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL / 6.7.88

Motion on the standing orders

of the Legislative Council of Hong Kông

Question proposed. MR. ANDREW WONG:

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I rise in support of the resolution to amend the Standing Orders of this Council moved by my Honourable friend, the Chief Secretary. Although the amendments contained in the resolution appear to be more of a technical nature than to have major constitutional significance, I wish to simply say that rivers and oceans do originate from tiny rain drops, and that the stability of our political and other systems, and hence the stability also prosperity of Hong Kong, owe much to this piece meal or rather inching approach.

Sir, I wish to underscore four points.

First, dissolution of this Council. The forthcoming dissolution of this Council will be the first ever in our 140 odd years of history. It was first provided for in 1985 when representative government at the level of this Council first came of age. The provision was amended earlier this year to allow for an increased flexibility of a shorter dissolution without wrecking havoc to our tradition of recess during the months of August and September. The present amendment in

lause 3 seeks to amend Standing Order No. 6 to allow further increase in the flexibility of a shorter dissolution by making it possible for the sitting held for urgent business between election day and the day of sitting schedule for, Sir, your Governor's address, to be the first sitting and, hence, the commencement of the new Legislative Council.

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Sir, If I gather the sentiments of my Honourable colleagues correctly, we believe it is important that the dissolution period ought to be as short as possible so as not