OF TIM THIS WAS COVERING THINGS, SPREADING OVER TO THINGS, NOT SIMPLY RELATE TO THE AIRPORT. SO, ALL EFFORTS HAD TO BE MOBILISED TO DEAL WITH THAT PARTICULAR PROBLEM AND THAT INCLUDED DEALING WITH IT ON A DIPLOMATIC LEVEL. I LOOK AT IT VERY PRAGMATICALLY, IF YOU FACE A PROBLEM, IF IT HAS GOT RAISED TO THAT SORT OF LEVEL, IF IT EXPANDS OUTWARDS BEYOND WHAT IS OUR IMMEDIATE SCOPE IN HONG KONG, THEN YOU'VE GOT TO FIND A WAY OF DEALING WITH IT AND WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS THAT IT'S DEALT WITH.
FRANKIE YIP (WAH KIU YAT PO): IS THERE A CONSENSUS IN INTERPRETING THE WORDS OF CONSULTATIONS ? EXACTLY WHAT IS THE LINE OF CONSULTATION ?
THE GOVERNOR: SORRY, WHAT IS THE LAST POINT OF YOUR QUESTION ?
FRANKIE YIP (WAH KIU YAT PO): WHAT IS THE LINE OF CONSULTATION ? LIKE BETWEEN WHO HAS THE POWER TO CONSULT WITH, WHO IS BEING CONSULTED?
THE GOVERNOR: THE IDEA OF CONSULTATION I THINK I'VE SAID EARLIER, THERE'S NO PROBLEM WITH THE IDEA OF CONSULTATION, THERE IS A POTENTIAL PROBLEM IF THAT IMPLIES SOME SORT OF A VETO POWER. I THINK THAT'S A POINT WHICH I REMEMBER THE BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY GOING INTO IT AT SOME LENGTH WHEN HE WAS HERE EARLIER IN THE YEAR.
LOUIS TING (HK ECONOMIC TIMES): IN THE MEMORANDUM THEY HAVE SAID THAT THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY ORDINANCE WILL BE MODELLED AS FAR AS POSSIBLE ON THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY CORPORATION ORDINANCE. WHAT IS NECESSARY FOR THAT ?
THE GOVERNOR: THAT WAS JUST TO EXPLAIN TO THE CHINESE SIDE WHAT SORT OF AN ORDINANCE IT WAS GOING TO BE, IT WILL BE VERY CLOSE TO THE MTR ORDINANCE, THAT'S THE ONLY REASON FOR IT.
LOUIS TING: WHY IS IT MODELLED AS THE MTR AND NOT ANY OTHER ORDINANCE ?
THE GOVERNOR: BECAUSE IT'S A VERY SIMILAR OPERATION TO THE MTR IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT. THE MTR BEING BUILT UNDER A BOARD AS IT WERE, SET UP SPECIALLY FOR THAT PURPOSE, THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY WILL BE VERY SIMILAR INDEED. IT'S GOT A MAJOR PROJECT TO MANAGE AND IT WILL BE SET UP IN VERY MUCH THE SAME WAY AS THE MTR WAS EVENTUALLY SET UP BECAUSE THERE WERE VARIOUS EARLY EXPERIMENTS WITH HOW TO RUN THE MTR AND EVENTUALLY THE PRESENT SYSTEM, THE MTR ORDINANCE WAS ADOPTED AND WE WILL BE DOING A SIMILAR THING WITH THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY.
LOUIS TING: SECONDLY, ABOUT THE CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE ON THE AIRPORT. THE MEMORANDUM SAID THERE IS NO DECISION MAKING POWER AND IT SHOULD NOT DELAY THE PROGRESS OF THE PROJECT. THEN WHAT'S THE MEANING OF SETTING UP SUCH A CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE ?
THE GOVERNOR: I WOULD CALL IT SOMETHING LIKE A SOUNDING BOARD FOR A WIDE SPREAD OF OPINION. IT WILL BE CHANCE FOR PEOPLE TO EXPRESS VIEWS ON THE AIRPORT AND PROJECTS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE AIRPORT, BUT VERY IMPORTANT INDEED THAT THAT DOESN'T BECOME THE BODY WHICH TAKES DECISIONS, THAT'S THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY THAT TAKES DECISIONS. VERY IMPORTANT INDEED THAT THAT WHOLE PROCESS. OF PEOPLE EXPRESSING THEIR
81'd
ØPST LES 258 +
17
'S'I'D
20:22 166T-INI-PO
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.