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elected and appointed members according to fixed ratios. However, in dealing with the same resolution, how can the Government ignore and then negate the mainstream opinion of the District Boards and the two Municipal Councils on the one hand, while on the other hand emphasizes that the motion will be submitted to the Legislative Council for discussion and that the decision thus arrived at will form the basis on which a decision will be taken on whether to implement that resolution or not? Does that mean the Government has adopted a double political standard? As we all know, the electorate of the District Board elections is larger than that of the Legislative Council elections. The representativeness of the District Boards is beyond dispute. Thus the views of the District Boards and the two Municipal Councils should be treated with due respect.
I strongly urge the Government to abandon the wrong practice mentioned above and respect the status and resolutions of the District Boards and the Municipal Councils.
Mr. Chairman, with these remarks, I support the motion.
CHAIRMAN (in English): Thank you. May I call upon Dr. the Hon. Elsie Tu.
DR. THE HON. ELSIE TU (in English): Mr. Chairman, 1993 got off to a very unhappy start, and one can only hope that the rest of this year will prove more auspicious than the 1 January.
Today I wish to refer to the hawker situation which never seems to improve, several of my colleagues have mentioned this today. We may be cancelling or converting itinerant and cooked food licences, but the illegal hawker problem is no better and indeed may be even worse.
I believe that there are two main reasons for the increase in illegal hawking. One is unemployment, though the Government never admits to this factor. There is no doubt that factories are closing or removing to the other side of the border where land and labour are cheaper. This results in the loss of jobs as well as the loss of the domestic industries by which housewives used to be able to supplement their husband's wages. I am told that many of those women have now turned to illegal hawking because the family cannot exist on the wages of one breadwinner. The Government seems to fail to recognize, let alone attempt to remedy, the unemployment situation. Many people in Hong Kong know only one remedy for unemployment, and that is, to go out onto the streets and sell whatever they can and hope to escape arrest.
Another reason for the increase in illegal hawking is, I believe the apparent upsurge in corruption. This applies especially to night-time cooked food hawkers, who fill the streets in some areas with tables and chairs, grease, dirt, garbage and noise. Complaints by residents are heard but seldom dealt with. The hawkers know when a raid is to be carried out and they melt away, only to return as soon as the raiding party has left. It is not surprising that members of the public are convinced that corruption is involved and the hawkers are given warning of raids.
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the public are convinced that corruption is involved and the hawkers are given warning of raids.
When a community is plagued, as we are, by decade after decade of illegal hawking, it means either that the economy is not providing the jobs that families need to earn a living, or that we are failing to provide the community with the services that hawkers can provide. We do not seem to be facing up to the real problem. My proposal to provide night bazaars has repeatedly been turned down, always on the grounds that there is no suitable land available. Yet illegal hawkers are permitted to take over any area they wish with impunity. Clearly we need some rethinking on this problem - we should either clear illegal hawkers off the streets, or give them space to operate legally. But as things are, the public is highly dissatisfied with the lack of control.
Apart from our continued inability to control hawking, I should say that the Council is quietly getting on with its other work in the fields of health, culture and recreation. This year is my thirtieth on this Council, and looking back I see enormous progress in terms of providing libraries, parks, cultural centres, museums and sports venues. The bauhinia is probably the most conspicuous symbol of activity in Hong Kong.
I mentioned earlier that this year began with a terrible tragedy in Lan Kwai Fong. It has also begun with a heavy pall of worry caused by the sudden change of heart of the British Government in becoming an advocate of democracy well beyond the confines of the Basic Law. I am not opposed to progress in democracy, but I see no hope of success in the present dogmatic insistence of the Governor on introducing a system that will be doomed to collapse in 1997. It is difficult to understand why agreements with China made, rightly or wrongly, in 1990, are being flouted without regard to the consequences.
In past decades I was concerned that the Government was adamantly against any progress in democracy, but today I am equally worried that the same Government is pushing for democracy at any price. I can only hope that common sense will eventually prevail, and that Hong Kong will again become stable and prosperous in 1993.
Mr. Chairman, I support the motion.
CHAIRMAN (in English): Thank you. We have one last speaker, Mr. Lo King-man, V.C.U.C., will speak.
MR. LO KING-MAN, THE VICE-CHAIRMAN OF URBAN COUNCIL (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, I assure you that we can all leave before 5.00 p.m. I have to apologize to the Translation and Interpretation Section because I should have put down my speech in writing. However, I said on Tuesday that I would speak today only if there were really some points not mentioned by any other Councillor. Now, I follow Mr. Ronald POON's example and would like to tell a story to illustrate my points. Actually, part of my story is true.
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age 103 of 126
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elected and appointed members according to fixed ratios. However, in dealing with the same resolution, how can the Government ignore and then negate the mainstream opinion of the District Boards and the two Municipal Councils on the one hand, while on the other hand emphasizes that the motion will be submitted to the Legislative Council for discussion and that the decision thus arrived at will form the basis on which a decision will be taken on whether to implement that resolution or not? Does that mean the Government has adopted a double political standard? As we all know, the electorate of the District Board elections is larger than that of the Legislative Council elections. The representativeness of the District Boards is beyond dispute. Thus the views of the District Boards and the two Municipal Councils should be treated with due respect.
I strongly urge the Government to abandon the wrong practice mentioned above and respect the status and resolutions of the District Boards and the Municipal Councils.
Mr. Chairman, with these remarks, I support the motion.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Thank you. May I call upon Dr. the Hon. Elsie Tu.
DR. THE HON. ELSIE TU (in English):—Mr. Chairman, 1993 got off to a very unhappy start, and one can only hope that the rest of this year will prove more auspicious than the 1 January.
Today I wish to refer to the hawker situation which never seems to improve, several of my colleagues have mentioned this today. We may be cancelling or converting itinerant and cooked food licences, but the illegal hawker problem is no better and indeed may be even worse.
I believe that there are two main reasons for the increase in illegal hawking. One is unemployment, though the Government never admits to this factor. There is no doubt that factories are closing or removing to the other side of the border where land and labour are cheaper. This results in the loss of jobs as well as the loss of the domestic industries by which housewives used to be able to supplement their husband's wages. I am told that many of those women have now turned to illegal hawking because the family cannot exist on the wages of one breadwinner. The Government seems to fail to recognize, let alone attempt to remedy, the unemployment situation. Many people in Hong Kong know only one remedy for unemployment, and that is, to go out onto the streets and sell whatever they can and hope to escape arrest.
Another reason for the increase in illegal hawking is, I believe the apparent upsurge in corruption. This applies especially to night-time cooked food hawkers, who fill the streets in some areas with tables and chairs, grease, dirt, garbage and noise. Complaints by residents are heard but seldom dealt with. The hawkers know when a raid is to be carried out and they melt away, only to return as soon as the raiding party has left. It is not surprising that members of
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the public are convinced that corruption is involved and the hawkers are given warning of raids.
When a community is plagued, as we are, by decade after decade of illegal hawking, it means either that the economy is not providing the jobs that families need to earn a living, or that we are failing to provide the community with the services that hawkers can provide. We do not seem to be facing up to the real problem. My proposal to provide night bazaars has repeatedly been turned down, always on the grounds that there is no suitable land available. Yet illegal hawkers are permitted to take over any area they wish with impunity. Clearly we need some rethinking on this problem-we should either clear illegal hawkers off the streets, or give them space to operate legally. But as things are, the public is highly dissatisfied with the lack of control.
Apart from our continued inability to control hawking, I should say that the Council is quietly getting on with its other work in the fields of health, culture and recreation. This year is my thirtieth on this Council, and looking back I sce enormous progress in terms of providing libraries, parks, cultural centres, museums and sports venues. The bauhinia is probably the most conspicuous symbol of activity in Hong Kong.
I mentioned earlier that this year began with a terrible tragedy in Lan Kwai Fong. It has also begun with a heavy pall of worry caused by the sudden change of heart of the British Government in becoming an advocate of democracy well beyond the confines of the Basic Law. I am not opposed to progress in democracy, but I see no hope of success in the present dogmatic insistence of the Governor on introducing a system that will be doomed to collapse in 1997. It is difficult to understand why agreements with China made, rightly or wrongly, in 1990, are being flouted without regard to the consequences.
In past decades I was concerned that the Government was adamantly against any progress in democracy, but today I am equally worried that the same Government is pushing for democracy at any price. I can only hope that common sense will eventually prevail, and that Hong Kong will again become stable and prosperous in 1993.
Mr. Chairman, I support the motion.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Thank you. We have one last speaker, Mr. Lo King-man, V.C.U.C., will speak.
MR. LO KING-MAN, THE VICE-CHAIRMAN OF URBAN COUNCIL (in Cantonese):- Mr. Chairman, I assure you that we can all leave before 5.00 p.m. I have to apologize to the Translation and Interpretation Section because I should have put down my speech in writing. However, I said on Tuesday that I would speak today only if there were really some points not mentioned by any other Councillor. Now, I follow Mr. Ronald POON's example and would like to tell a story to illustrate my points. Actually, part of my story is true.
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