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PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
63
Before presenting the Democratic Party's view that no more composite overseas study visits should be organized, I wish to draw Members' attention to some problems concerning study visits in the past. I have read through the reports of all the study visits conducted in recent years and identified some very serious problems concerning these study visits.
In November 1994, the Council visited Australia to study the recreational, museum and refuse collection facilities there. There were ten Councillors and two staff-members. The total cost was $560,000, or $47,000 per person on average. In March 1996, the Council paid a visit to North America at the average cost of $66,000 per person. To me, the Council's visit is no less than a super-luxurious tour.
The second problem is about the visits themselves. When I went through the record on the study visits conducted in the past few years, I discovered that a lot of libraries, museums, stadiums were visited by Councillors for more than once. Some were visited twice or even thrice. What was there in these places that made us visit them for more than once?
Thirdly, it seems that since it joined the Council, the Democratic Party has been elbowed out by major political parties and bodies. It lost in the elections for the chairmanship of all the select committees except that of the Libraries Select Committee, to which Mr. Kam Nai-wai of the Democratic Party was elected. Before then, three thematic visits had already been made by the Select Committee. When the construction of the Central Library was being considered, it was made clear that a number of visits had been conducted. Even though Mr. KAM was elected the Chairman of the Select Committee, the chance for an overseas visit was slim.
Fourthly, there was a visit which, in my opinion, was almost a shame. Around 1993/94, a visit was paid to Beijing. On the first page of the report on the visit, it is clearly stated that the Urban Council is a non-political organization and yet, from what I read, the twenty-odd Members who took part in the visit had their air passage subsidized with public money, the people's money. And out of the 4-day visit, three and a half days were spent in meeting state leaders while the remaining half day was spent in visiting the Fok Ying Tung Swimming Complex. Yet they told others that they had visited local municipal facilities. I consider that the problem of such visits to be very serious.
I hope that if I could, I would restrain the Council from organizing any more study visits. In moving the motion today, we hope that no more study visits will be conducted in this financial year, but having learned that Mr. CHEUNG Yu-yan of the Liberal Party has proposed an amended motion that no more study visits should be conducted in the next three years, we consider that it is more desirable. I know we could not forever restrain the future Urban Council from organizing any visits, but it is the wish of both the original
Page 41 of 606
Page 41 of 606
Page 41 of 606
Page 41 of 606
PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
63
Before presenting the Democratic Party's view that no more composite overseas study visits should be organized, I wish to draw Members' attention to some problems concerning study visits in the past. I have read through the reports of all the study visits conducted in recent years and identified some very serious problems concerning these study visits.
In November 1994, the Council visited Australia to study the recreational, museum and refuse collection facilities there. There were ten Councillors and two staff-members. The total cost was $560,000, or $47,000 per person on average. In March 1996, the Council paid a visit to North America at the average cost of $66,000 per person. To me, the Council's visit is no less than a super-luxurious tour.
The second problem is about the visits themselves. When I went through the record on the study visits conducted in the past few years, I discovered that a lot of libraries, museums, stadiums were visited by Councillors for more than once. Some were visited twice or even thrice. What was there in these places that made us visit them for more than once?
Thirdly, it seems that since it joined the Council, the Democratic Party has been elbowed out by major political parties and bodies. It lost in the elections for the chairmanship of all the select committees except that of the Libraries Select Committce, to which Mr. Kam Nai-wai of the Democratic Party was elected. Before then, three thematic visits had already made by the Select Committee. When the construction of the Central Library was being considered, it was made clear that a number of visits had been conducted. Even though Mr. KAM was elected the Chairman of the Select Committee, the chance for an overseas visit was slim.
Fourthly, there was a visit which, in my opinion, was almost a shame. Around 1993/94, a visit was paid to Beijing. On the first page of the report on the visit. it is clearly stated that the Urban Council is a non-political organization and yet, from what I read, the twenty-odd Members who took part in the visit had their air passage subsidized with public money, the people's money. And out of the 4-day visit, three and a half days were spent in mecting state leaders while the remaining half day was spent in visiting the Fok Ying Tung Swimming Complex. Yet they told others that they had visited local municipal facilities. I consider that the problem of such visits to be very serious.
I hope that if I could, I would restrain the Council from organizing any more study visits. In moving he motion today, we hope that no more study visits will be conducted in this financial year. but having learned that Mr. CHEUNG Yu-yan of the Liberal Party has proposed an amended motion that no more study visits should be conducted in the next three years, we consider that it is more desirable. I know we could not forever restrain the future Urban Council from organizing any visits, but it is the wish of both the original
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Page 41 of 606
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