On the evening of November 27, the DPJ and the People's New Party (PNP) met inside the Diet to exchange opinions in the first meeting of the Subcommittee on "Emergency Economic Measures for the Protection of People's Lives" (Subcommittee on Emergency Economic Measures).

In his opening remarks, DPJ Policy Research Committee Chair Masayuki Naoshima mentioned the two parties' shared acknowledgement of the need to debate the current dire economic situation and coordinate economic measures, and said he hoped that opinions on how to proceed moving forward could be exchanged in the first meeting.

Naoshima also talked about the additional economic stimulus package announced by Prime Minister Taro Aso on October 30. He pointed out that while the Japanese people were eager for some kind of policy to be implemented immediately, the second supplementary budget to the Diet had not yet been submitted in the current session of the Diet. He also expressed doubt over the approach taken by the government and ruling parties, saying that Japan could be considered the only country doing nothing while governments in other countries implement economic policies and engage in fiscal stimuli in response to the global recession.

In attendance from the DPJ were Next Finance Minister Masaharu Nakagawa, Next Minister of State for Financial Services Akihiro Ohata, Next Economic, Trade & Industry Minister Teruhiko Mashiko, and also Acting Policy Research Council Chair Tetsuro Fukuyama, Deputy Policy Research Council Chairs Kohei Otsuka and Motoyuki Odachi and Non-Regular Employment Measures Project Team Director Masao Kobayashi.

In a joint press conference held after the meeting, Naoshima said that the policies of both parties would be brought to the table for discussion as it takes up urgent issues on (1) measures for small and medium-sized businesses including measures targeting banks' reluctance to lend and their forcible withdrawal of money, (2) measures to secure employment, and (3) the implementation of social security policies including those contributing to peace of mind, such as medical care.

"Given the immediate emergency economic stimulus package, we have resolved to consider the second supplementary budget to the diet, particularly our counterproposal to benefits to support people's lives," Naoshima noted, also saying that policy details including "how the same 2 trillion yen should be used" would be revealed next week.