ニュース 2009/03/04 Secretary General Hatoyama Welcomes Australia-Japan Young Political Leaders Exchange Program's Delegation from Australia On the afternoon of March 4, Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama received the Australian delegation for the Australia-Japan Young Political Leaders Exchange Program, led by Senator Louise Pratt of the Australian Parliament, at party headquarters. The group was invited by the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE). DPJ members in attendance were Director-General of Executive Office Tenzo Okumura( member of the House of Representatives), Vice Director-General of the International Department Shuji Kira, (member of the House of Representatives) and House of Councilors members Koji Hirayama and Hiroe Makiyama. Hatoyama was late to join after returning from the Lower House plenary session, and upon welcoming the guests, he expressed his heart-felt condolences and concern for the victims of the mountain fires in Victoria, Australia. He then explained his "two reasons for being late." One was that he had been interviewed on the bill to provide funds for the fixed sum economic stimulus payment being re-passed by a two-thirds majority of members of the Diet present in the House of Representatives. The other reason was on DPJ President Ichiro Ozawa's press conference concerning the arrest of his chief secretary responsible for accounting at the political fund management organization. The Secretary General made clear that the DPJ had strongly insisted to the government and the ruling parties that the two trillion yen be used in an effective way, such as by implementing needed government measures, rather than throwing money in all directions, even to the rich. Also, in relation to Ozawa's press conference, he said, "We think the prosecutor's office has used its authority improperly prior to an election." Normally this sort of incident connected to the Political Fund Control Law would have simply been corrected under administrative direction, but Hatoyama stated that going so far as to make an arrest with suspicion of violating this law "feels like an attack employing the power of the state and government authority against the top opposition party." In response to questions from the Australian delegation, opinions were exchanged on a number of matters including the alliance with the United States.