CONFIDENTIAL
MDLIA
171643
5. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF THE POINT COULD BE REINFORCED TO THE AUSTRALIANS THAT BOTH HMG AND HKG REGARD IT AS ESSENTIAL THAT THE WHOLE OF THE CPA SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED, INCLUDING THE PROVISIONS ON THE NEED FOR ALL NON-REFUGEES TO RETURN TO VIETNAM, WHETHER VOLUNTARILY OR OTHERWISE.
EMIGRATION
6. ON EMIGRATION, MR HAND SHOWED HIMSELF VERY SENSITIVE OVER SUGGESTIONS BY THE MEDIA THAT AUSTRALIA WAS CONTRIBUTING TO HONG KONG'S BRAIN DRAIN. THE PUBLICATION OF OUR REVISED EMIGRATION FORECASTS THE DAY BEFORE HIS PRESS CONFERENCE, AND CLUMSY QUESTIONING BY A REPORTER ON RADIO HK, MAY HAVE GIVEN HIM THE IMPRESSION THAT HE HAD BEEN SET UP. WE TOOK STEPS TO MAKE IT CLEAR TO THE AUSTRALIAN COMMISSION THAT THIS WAS NOT THE CASE.
7. AT HIS PRESS CONFERENCE, APART FROM DEFENDING AUSTRALIA'S IMMIGRATION POLICY, MR HAND SAID THAT AUSTRALIA WOULD NOT OFFER ARRANGEMENTS SIMILAR TO THE BRITISH NATIONALITY PACKAGE TO HONG KONG PEOPLE, BECAUSE THIS WOULD BE UNFAIR TO OTHER PEOPLE WHO GENUINELY WANTED TO EMIGRATE TO AUSTRALIA. THEY WOULD ASSESS THE NEED FOR ANY INCREASE IN QUOTA NEXT YEAR, BUT WOULD NOT CUT THE QUOTA FOR FAMILY REUNIONS.
COMMENT ON EMIGRATION
7. NO NEED FOR ACTION ON THIS. CONTRARY TO PRESS REPORTS, MR HAND'S TALKS WITH ME FOCUSED ON VBP PROBLEMS RATHER THAN EMIGRATION.
WILSON
YYYY
DISTRIBUTION
77
MAIN
71
VIETNAMESE REPATRIATION LIMITED
PS
PS/LORD CAITHNESS
SEAD
HKD
UND
LEGAL ADVISERS
FED
PS/MR LENNOX-BOYD
PS/PUS
MR MCLAREN
MR BLATHERWICK
MR BURNS
PAGE
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CONFIDENTIAL
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