**********************************************
Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Gregory So, on the Copyright (Amendment) Bill 2014 at a media session in the Legislative Council Complex today (January 21):
Reporter: (inaudible)
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development: Because it is another filibustering technique. I think any reasonable person looking at this would come up with the same conclusion. This would just delay the proceedings and really not very constructive and I believe that every LegCo member's responsibilities is to remain in the Chamber to debate. It is okay to have different opinion to express here rather than creating another opportunity for failure of a quorum.
Reporter: ...... the Legislative Council ...... debate on the Policy Address ...... would the Government at this stage considering stalling the bill altogether?
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development: You know I say time after time we have sufficient time to see this bill through. And if every member co-operates, I don’t think we would be short of time. We have plenty of time if people co-operate. And I am saying we do have a deadlock of a lot of pieces of legislation that we need to come through here and the pan-democrats by doing this is not serving the best interest of Hong Kong.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Thursday, January 21, 2016
Issued at HKT 23:52
NNNN