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2011/12/09
Meeting of DPJ caucus in lower house confirms intention to work for agreement on legislation relating to national civil servants’ pay cuts
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On December 9, a meeting of the DPJ caucus in the House of Representatives was held inside the Diet building prior to the close of the Diet session. The assembled members agreed to work to achieve the early enactment of legislation such as the postal reform legislation and legislation to cut national civil servants’ pay, during the forthcoming ordinary Diet session next year.
Diet Affairs Committee Chair Hirofumi Hirano once again reported that the party had made the decision not to extend the current Diet session. In addition to stating that the DPJ had aimed for the speedy enactment of the third supplementary budget and related legislation toward the implementation of full-scale recovery and reconstruction, Hirano called for understanding in dealing with important legislation such as the postal reform legislation, and legislation for reforming the civil service, as well as revisions to legislation relating to dispatch workers, which the DPJ, LDP and Komeito had resolved to have enacted. He stressed, “Even once the Diet session has closed, we are resolved to continue our efforts to have the legislation enacted.”
Following this, Acting Secretary General Shinji Tarutoko explained the reasoning behind the DPJ decision not to extend the session. He said that in the meeting of the secretaries general of the DPJ, LDP and Komeito held December 8, DPJ Secretary General Azuma Koshiishi had called for the Diet session to be extended in order that postal reform legislation and legislation regarding civil servants’ pay cuts could be enacted, but that in view of the opinions stated by both [opposition] parties, the prospects for enacting both pieces of legislation seemed dim, and so the decision was made. Following this, he said that the party would make every effort to enact legislation during the forthcoming ordinary Diet session, and that Koshiishi and he himself would stand at the forefront of such efforts, and join forces with directly involved in discussions and endeavour to achieve an agreement.
Policy Research Committee Chair Seiji Maehara expressed his resolve to call for working-levels discussions during the Diet recess and work toward the early enactment of legislation relating to civil servants’ pay cuts during the next Diet session. He also explained the proposed schedule leading up to the end of the year, will the aim being to compile tax system revisions for fiscal 2012 and the key budget requests that will set out a direction for budget compilation.
Maehara also referred to comprehensive reform of tax and social security. After the DPJ Tax and Social Security Comprehensive Reform Research Committee and the Tax System Research Committee had cooperated to debate the state of tax and social security, and reach a consensus within the party, the government and ruling party would then aim to draw up their conclusions on this issue by the end of the year he said, adding, “The Diet session ends today, but this is an important debate that will decide the future of Japan. The Diet will end, but I ask for your continued participation and cooperation.”
Koichi Takemasa, Senior Director of the House of Representatives Special Committee on Postal Reform, gave a progress report on the postal reform legislation, stating, “Since we set up trilateral discussions with the LDP and Komeito on August 31 we have proceeded with discussions regarding (1) the way in which postal services should be divided up, (2) the state of government share holdings, and (3) other issues. We are also negotiating on the basis of providing universal services by integrating the three main postal services. We will proceed actively with discussions during the recess, and make every effort to obtain agreement on revisions.”
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