1992-12-04 19:06 COMMS OFFICE (GOVT HOUSE)
852 526 0995 P.22
IT'S COMMON TO ALL OF US THAT WE WANT A COURT OF FINAL APPEAL, BUT
THUS FAR THIS COUNCIL HAS HAD SOME DIFFICULTY WITH THE ARRANGEMENTS THAT WERE PUT FORWARD. I WOULD NOT LIKE TO BE IN THAT POSITION OVER THE ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR 1995, AND I DON'T THINK THAT IF I WERE, IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR THE POLITICAL STABILITY OF HONG KONG OR FOR A
SMOOTH TRANSITION.
RONALD ARCULLI: SIR, YOU'VE STATED ON MANY OCCASIONS THAT YOUR PROPOSALS FOR CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM WILL HAVE TO BE DECIDED IN THIS COUNCIL. WOULD IT THEREFORE NOT BE FAIR AND ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG THAT WHEN THAT HAPPENS, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, SHOULD ABSTAIN FROM VOTING ON YOUR PROPOSALS, SO THAT WHETHER OR NOT SUCH PROPOSALS ARE PASSED WILL
IN FACT BE DECIDED BY THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND NOT BY CIVIL
SERVANTS? PARTICULARLY, WOULD IT NOT BE GROSSLY UNFAIR TO THE PEOPLE
OF HONG KONG IF THose propoSALS WERE PASSED BY THREE OR LESS VOTES?
GOVERNOR: FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD CERTAINLY TAKE ISSUE WITH THE
SUGGESTION THAT CIVIL SERVANTS WEREN'T THE SAME AS THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, PARTICULARLY WHEN ONE IS TALKING ABOUT CIVIL SERVANTS WHO'VE DEDICATED THEIR LIVES TO THE SERVICE OF THE COMMUNITY. SECONDLY, WE GO STRAIGHT BACK TO THE POINT THAT I WAS ANSWERING IN RESPONSE TO AN EARLIER MEMBER. IF I WERE TO TAKE THE HONOURABLE MEMBER'S ADVICE, HOW WOULD I RESIST THE PROPOSAL WHICH WOULD DOUBTLESS COME FROM OTHER HONOURABLE MEMBERS SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, THAT I SHOULD SOMEHOW DEVALUE
THE VOTE OF THOSE WHO WERE APPOINTED RATHER THAN ELECTED TO THE
COUNCIL? EXACTLY THE SAME SORT OF ARGUMENTS WOULD BE APPLIED, AND I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD BE SENSIBLE, I DON'T THINK IT WOULD GIVE THIS HONOURABLE BODY THE CREDIT WHICH IS ITS DUE. SO I'M CERTAINLY NOT
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