Page 370 of 606
Page 370 of 606
17 ~ UI 606
358
PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
Mr. Chairman, with these remarks, I support the motion.
MR. WONG KING-CHEUNG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman,
It is really a difficult task for me to speak at this Annual Conventional Debate, not because we have no topics to speak on
in fact, there are a lot of topics we can speak about, as my colleagues have already spoken on many different topics but because we will be unable to speak even if we want to should the Government insist on dissolving the two Municipal Councils. Just now a number of my colleagues mentioned that the Government had taken premeditated steps to completely reverse the harmonious atmosphere originally prevailing in the Council. In the last two years, some people have been trying to damage the reputation of the Council's Members and give people the impression that we are second-rate Councillors who are only keen on meaningless disputes within the Council. I don't know whether they are acting under instructions or just taking the liberty to do so. However, no mention has been made of all the work we have accomplished over the years. We have worked wholeheartedly to supervise the work of government officials and provide the public with quality markets, parks, playgrounds and other venues. We did not just approve funds; we also examined and approved the provision of facilities from the citizens' point of view to ensure that these facilities have both physical charms and proper inner function. We never paltered with our work and just dozed off after reading the papers. Rather, we went to the streets to monitor the progress of projects and listened to the views of the community. We solicited public views which were conveyed to Government officials to remind them of what they might have overlooked. For the many things which the Government and the officials concerned were reluctant to do, we also reflected public opinions to them and urged them to do all they could.
Looking back, we realize that there were many things shunned by the Government not because these things were unattainable, but because the Government officials concerned disliked taking the responsibility and the trouble. There were also some officials who wanted to take credit for other people's achievements and to "jump on the bandwagon". All of them did not have public interest in mind. Even the Secretary for the Civil Service has admitted that there is a need to overhaul the bureaucratic structure which is a product of the century-old civil service system. Otherwise, how can the Government achieve the aims set out in the Enhanced Productivity Programme? Now that the Government insists on dissolving the two Municipal Councils, it is no longer necessary for Government officials to submit a large number of papers or put forward proposals for our scrutiny. Neither can we consult the public in the future. The Government may now cover up any problem as it wishes and the public can do nothing about it. The new airport incident is a typical example. How could it be possible that the Government turned a costly project into such a mess? As Chairman of the
Page 370
Page 371
Page 371 of 606
Page 370 of 606
Page 370 of 606
17 ~ UI 606
358
PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
Mr. Chairman, with these remarks, I support the motion.
MR. WONG KING-CHEUNG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman,
It is really a difficult task for me to speak at this Annual Conventional Debate, not because we have no topics to speak on
←
in fact, there are a lot of 1opics we can speak about, as my colleagues have already spoken on many different topics but because we will be unable to speak even if we want to should the Government insist on dissolving the two Municipal Councils. Just now a number of my colleagues mentioned that the Government had taken premeditated steps to completely reverse the harmonious atmosphere originally prevailing in the Council. In the last two years, some people have been trying to damage the reputation of the Council's Members and give people the impression that we are second-rate Councillors who are only keen on meaningless disputes within the Council. I don't know whether they are acting under instructions or just taking the liberty to do so. However, no mention has been made of all the work we have accomplished over the years. We have worked wholeheartedly to supervise the work of government officials and provide the public with quality markets, parks, playgrounds and other venues. We did not just approve funds; we also examined and approved the provision of facilities from the citizens' point of view to ensure that these facilities have both physical charms and proper inner function. We never paltered with our work and just dozed off after reading the papers. Rather, we went to the streets to monitor the progress of projects and listened to the views of the community. We solicited public views which were conveyed to Government officials to remind them of what they might have overlooked. For the many things which the Government and the officials concerned were reluctant to do, we also reflected public opinions to them and urged them to do all they could.
Looking back, we realize that there were many things shunned by the Government not because these things were unattainable, but because the Government officials concerned disliked taking the responsibility and the trouble. There were also some officials who wanted to take credit for other people's achievements and to "jump on the bandwagon". All of them did not have public interest in mind. Even the Secretary for the Civil Service has admitted that there is a need to overhaul the bureaucratic structure which is a product of the century-old civil service system. Otherwise, how can the Government achieve the aims set out in the Enhanced Productivity Programme? Now that the Government insists on dissolving the twc Municipal Councils, it is no longer necessary for Government officials tc submit a large number of papers or put forward proposals for our scrutiny Neither can we consult the public in the future. The Government may now cover up any problem as it wishes and the public can do nothing about it. The new airport incident is a typical example. How could it be possible that the Government turned a costly project into such a mess? As Chairman of the
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Page 371 of 606
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