HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
in any case, that the Chairman of the Urban Council, be he an Official Member or not, should certainly not be the Director of the Urban Services Department. Time and again we have seen the disadvantage of the person who holds the office of Director of Urban Services, also chairing the meeting of this Council.
Sir, on a happier note. Since I understand that this is your last meeting, not because of my instigation, but because of the fact that you are retiring from this Council, I would like to put on record how greatly my friends and I have appreciated your unfailing courtesy and your strict sense of fair play at all times. (Applause).
I know that I would be grossly ungracious if I did not also thank Mr. BERNACCHI for the encouragement which he has given to the Appointed Members. (Laughter). In his very powerful speech this afternoon, Mr. BERNACCHI has fittingly recognized the leadership which the Appointed Members provide in the Urban Council. I am only hopeful that this recognition of leadership will be translated into practice, so that in the future when we the Appointed Members introduce motions for the good of the people of Hong Kong, the Elected Members will not be so hesitant in supporting these motions, looking first which way the Official Members might vote on the issue before they decide what to do. Sir, in any case, the success of the Urban Council is predicated upon the co-operation and the fine spirit of friendship which exist between the Elected Members and the Appointed Members. (Applause). We may tease each other, but we work together.
Mr. Chairman, it is not the last speaker's function to review, much less to rebut what previous speakers have said. That is what our Official Members seem to think they must do. However, in my view, they should not restrict their replies to defending their respective departments; by doing so, they would be limiting their role to parrying our thrusts hoping to score off a riposte each time, as it were. I would like to see them advance suggestions of their own and so contribute in a definite way to the value of this annual exercise.
My own purpose in speaking today is simple. It is just to think aloud about the Select Committees for which I am directly responsible as Chairman and also on related subjects I deem of interest to Hong Kong at present. Sir, if I appear critical at times, it is merely incidental to the discussion, and I apologize in advance should I hurt the feelings of my Official Colleagues.
City Hall Policy
It has always been Council policy to keep our doors wide open. Our amenities are there for all to use. But, those who do must obviously agree to abide by our rules and respect our way of life. It is clearly our function and responsibility to regulate the use of these facilities in the best interest of the community as a whole.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
The Council is gratified that the City Hall has proved so immensely popular ever since its opening. Such public response has encouraged us to keep on improving what we have to offer. For one, it is our intention to sponsor many more activities; to start off, we propose increasing the number of our well-supported public concerts for which the charge is only a dollar because the younger members of the public are greatly attracted to them.
Mr. Chairman, I would now like to repeat a request I made before. The Government owes it to the residents of Kowloon to build a similar civic centre there. Nobody doubts that such facilities will be put to very good use. (Applause).
Reform of Local Administration
Much time has passed since this Council presented its views on the reform of the local administration. Some discussion has taken place. When I introduced the Ad Hoc Committee's Report in this Council in October last year, I said:
"Evidently, the surrender of power is a difficult exercise. Manifestly, it will meet with strong resistance. Inevitably, here as elsewhere, there must be an evolution of governmental institutions to accord with changing circumstances. For, the decentralization of authority and the delegation of responsibility should keep pace with the need of a go-ahead community for an up-to-date administrative machinery working full-time for the well-being of the people."
The Government has given no proof that it is capable of changing to meet the requirements of a changing world. Its out-moded concept of public administration designed in another age to serve a colonial economy cannot satisfy the increasing demands of a complex society in a keenly competitive world.
Anyway, Sir, the Select Committee on Local Administration and its four Sub-Committees have not stopped working and, I assume, their findings will be made public in due course. For the time being, as Chairman, I ought to reserve my opinion so as not to prejudice the views of my colleagues who have chosen to speak on this subject as the Select Committee will obviously examine their opinions.
Public Relations
This Select Committee is also responsible for Council policy on public relations, so I would be remiss if I had nothing to say on the subject.
I have always believed that the best support the Select Committees can give for the projection of the right image of the Council is for them
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
in any case, that the Chairman of the Urban Council, be he an Official Member or not, should certainly not be the Director of the Urban Serv- ices Department. Time and again we have seen the disadvantage of the person who holds the office of Director of Urban Services, also chair- ing the meeting of this Council.
Sir, on a happier note. Since I understand that this is your last meeting, not because of my instigation, but because of the fact that you are retiring from this Council, I would like to put on record how greatly my friends and I have appreciated your unfailing courtesy and your strict sense of fair play at all times. (Applause).
I know that I would be grossly ungracious if I did not also thank Mr. BERNACCHI for the encouragement which he has given to the Appointed Members. (Laughter). In his very powerful speech this afternoon, Mr. BERNACCHI has fittingly recognized the leadership which the Appointed Members provide in the Urban Council. I am only hopeful that this recognition of leadership will be translated into practice, so that in the future when we the Appointed Members introduce motions for the good of the people of Hong Kong, the Elected Members will not be so hesitant in supporting these motions, looking first which way the Official Members might vote on the issue before they decide what to do. Sir, in any case, the success of the Urban Council is pre- dicated upon the co-operation and the fine spirit of friendship which exist between the Elected Members and the Appointed Members. (Applause). We may tease each other, but we work together.
Mr. Chairman, it is not the last speaker's function to review, much less to rebut what previous speakers have said. That is what our Official Members seem to think they must do. However, in my view, they should not restrict their replies to defending their respective depart- ments; by doing so, they would be limiting their role to parrying our thrusts hoping to score off a riposte each time, as it were. I would like to see them advance suggestions of their own and so contribute in a definite way to the value of this annual exercise.
My own purpose in speaking today is simple. It is just to think aloud about the Select Committees for which I am directly responsible as Chairman and also on related subjects I deem of interest to Hong Kong at present. Sir, if I appear critical at times, it is merely incidental to the discussion, and I apologize in advance should I hurt the feelings of my Official Colleagues.
City Hall Policy
It has always been Council policy to keep our doors wide open. Our amenities are there for all to use. But, those who do must obvious- ly agree to abide by our rules and respect our way of life. It is clearly our function and responsibility to regulate the use of these facilities in the best interest of the community as a whole.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
343
The Council is gratified that the City Hall has proved so immensely popular ever since its opening. Such public response has encouraged us to keep on improving what we have to offer. For one, it is our intention to sponsor many more activities; to start off, we propose in- creasing the number of our well-supported public concerts for which the charge is only a dollar because the younger members of the public are greatly attracted to them.
Mr. Chairman, I would now like to repeat a request I made before. The Government owes it to the residents of Kowloon to build a similar civic centre there. Nobody doubts that such facilities will be put to very good use. (Applause).
Reform of Local Administration
Much time has passed since this Council presented its views on the reform of the local administration. Some discussion has taken place. When I intro- Little action has followed on the part of the Government. duced the Ad Hoc Committee's Report in this Council in October last year, I said:
"Evidently, the surrender of power is a difficult exercise. Manifest- ly, it will meet with strong resistance. Inevitably, here as else- where, there must be an evolution of governmental institutions to accord with changing circumstances. For, the decentralization of authority and the delegation of responsibility should keep pace with the need of a go-ahead community for an up-to-date administrative machinery working fulltime for the well-being of the people."
The Government has given no proof that it is capable of changing to meet the requirements of a changing world. Its out-moded concept of public administration designed in another age to serve a colonial economy cannot satisfy the increasing demands of a complex society in a keenly competitive world.
Anyway, Sir, the Select Committee on Local Administration and its four Sub-Committees have not stopped working and, I assume, their findings will be made public in due course. For the time being, as Chairman, I ought to reserve my opinion so as not to prejudice the views of my colleagues who have chosen to speak on this subject as the Select Committee will obviously examine their opinions.
Public Relations
This Select Committee is also responsible for Council policy on public relations, so I would be remiss if I had nothing to say on the subject.
I have always believed that the best support the Select Committees can give for the projection of the right image of the Council is for them
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