Transcript of remarks by CE at media session before ExCo meeting (with video)
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Reporter: Mrs Lam, you are calling on lawmakers to make some constructive proposals to alleviate people's concern, but would there be any new proposals or changes from the Government to address people's concern, and whether you will meet pan-democratic lawmakers to discuss their concerns?
Chief Executive: As far as meeting with Legislative Council members from across the political spectrum, as you will all recall, since taking office, I have taken a very forthcoming and positive attitude, not only in increasing my attendances at the Legislative Council to once or twice a month, but also welcoming meetings with different political parties, including of course from the pan-democratic camp. But I have to understand the purpose of their latest request for meeting on this particular subject, because if the meeting's main purpose is to pressurise me to withdraw the bill, then there is no purpose for that sort of meeting. But if the purpose of meeting is to go into the safeguards in the proposed legislation, then I think the best platform to do that is the Bills Committee of the Legislative Council and not a closed-door meeting with the Chief Executive.
As far as new proposals, let me just make it very clear that we have taken quite a bit of time to come up with these latest legislative proposals since the matter came to surface early last year, because this is a very complicated matter. The policy team in the Security Bureau and the legal team in the Department of Justice have been working very hard to study our domestic legislation, to look at overseas jurisdiction's practice, before they present these proposals to the public and to the Legislative Council. But I of course cannot rule out the possibility of good proposals to be suggested by the Bills Committee. As I have said yesterday and repeated just now, we will listen very attentively to what the members have to say on the content of the bill, and if there are good suggestions, practical proposals that could allay the fears and the anxiety of some members of the public, but at the same time achieve the two objectives of this legislative exercise, then we will certainly follow up on that score.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Tuesday, April 30, 2019
Issued at HKT 13:16
Issued at HKT 13:16
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Audio / Video
CE meets the media