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controversial policy could be carried out with flexibility, taking into account the current difficult economic situation in Hong Kong. If so, the licencees, most of them being over 60, can achieve self-reliance and spend their remaining years happily. Before the Provisional Urban Council is scrapped, may we show our mercy and let them retain their IHLs?
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Lau Chi-keong (in Cantonese):—Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thanks to Members and the reporters for their patience to stay here and listen to our debate. Today I would like to discuss the political development of Hong Kong under the topic of “My sorrow for the democratic development of Hong Kong".
Mr. Chairman, many of our colleagues have just expressed the same feeling that this may be the last Annual Conventional Debate of the Urban Council and they feel reluctant to leave. To me, however, it is nothing serious because it is natural to have "new Members joining the Councils and outgoing Members leaving the Councils” as long as there are elections. It is a pity that we will not be able to sit here next year if the “axing of the Councils" is indeed successful. This is not because we fail in the election. Rather, it is because the Government wantonly dissolve the two elected Municipal Councils so that the public can no longer elect their representatives to formulate policies on their well-being together with the Government.
I can still recall that the Chief Executive, in his first policy address, indicated his intention to view the district organizations from a new perspective. In a seminar held by the One Country Two Systems Economics Research Institute late last year, Mr. Michael SUEN Ming-yeung also reiterated in his speech that a new mode of thought lay behind the reform. In fact, the Democratic Party also expected that the Government would reform the district organizations with a more farsighted vision and determination than the past Colonial Government, after entering a new era of Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong. It is a pity that when the government has indicated its determination to dissolve the two Municipal Councils and centralize in it their functions in respect of culture, recreation, sports and public health. the so-called new perspective of the Government is only a trick of blowing its own trumpet. To be more specific, the Government's perspective is narrow, biased and conservative. The real objective of the review is to disintegrate the powers of the Councils so that they cannot perform their function of serving the public under numerous restrictions.
During the whole process of packing and peddling of the dissolution of the two Municipal Councils, the Government has been saying repeatedly that the aim of the review is to improve administrative efficiency. Nonetheless, nothing about the positive effects of reforming the district organizations on the democratic government has been mentioned and the issue is being toned down
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controversial policy could be carried out with flexibility, taking into account the current difficult economic situation in Hong Kong. If so, the licencees, most of them being over 60, can achieve self-reliance and spend their remaining years happily. Before the Provisional Urban Council is scrapped, may we show our mercy and let them retain their IHLs?
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Lat Chi-keong (in Cantonese):—Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thanks to Members and the reporters for their patience to stay here and listen to our debate. Today I would like to discuss the political development of Hong Kong under the topic of “My sorrow for the democratic development of Hong Kong".
Mr. Chairman, many of our colleagues have just expressed the same feeling that this may be the last Annual Conventional Debate of the Urban Council and they feel reluctant to leave. To me, however, it is nothing serious because it is natural to have "new Members joining the Councils and outgoing Members leaving the Councils” as long as there are elections. It is a pity that we will not be able to sit here next year if the “axing of the Councils" is indeed successful. This is not because we fail in the election. Rather, it is because the Government wantonly dissolve the two elected Municipal Councils so that the public can no longer elect their representatives to formulate policies on their well-being together with the Government.
I can still recall that the Chief Executive, in his first policy address, indicated his intention to view the district organizations from a new perspective. In a seminar held by the One Country Two Systems Economics Research Institute late last year, Mr. Michael SUEN Ming-yeung also reiterated in his speech that a new mode of thought lay behind the reform. In fact, the Democratic Party also expected that the Government would reform the district organizations with a more farsighted vision and determination than the past Colonial Government, after entering a new era of Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong. It is a pity that when the government has indicated its determination to dissolve the two Municipal Councils and centralize in it their functions in respect of culture, recreation, sports and public health. the so-called new perspective of the Government is only a trick of blowing its own trumpet. To be more specific, the Government's perspective is narrow, biased and conservative. The real objective of the review is to disintegrate the powers of the Councils so that they cannot perform their function of serving the public under numerous restrictions.
During the whole process of packing and peddling of the dissolution of the two Municipal Councils, the Government has been saying repeatedly that the aim of the review is to improve administrative efficiency. Nonetheless, nothing about the positive effects of reforming the district organizations on the democratic government has been mentioned and the issue is being toned down
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