 |
2014/10/27
Kaieda says “The Abe administration is falling apart at the seams”
|
On October 27, DPJ President Banri Kaieda held his regular press conference at party headquarters. He referred to the eruption of Mount Ontake, saying, “It is one month today since the eruption. I would like to offer my deepest sympathy for those who lost their lives in this, Japan’s worst post-war volcanic disaster.” Kaieda added, “Japan is a nation of volcanoes, and we must make thorough preparations in order to minimize casualties from future eruptions.”
Kaieda also commented on Diet affairs, stating, “Last week we saw the resignations of Cabinet ministers Yuko Obuchi and Midori Matsushima, but already there are question marks against newly appointed Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yoichi Miyazawa over his use of political funds and his receiving donations from a corporation in which a foreign national holds a majority stake.” He sharply criticized the government, stating, “The Abe administration is falling apart at the seams.” Kaieda then called on Prime Minister Abe to explain critical remarks he had previously made when similar issues had arisen with regard to DPJ Cabinet ministers. Abe, then LDP leader in opposition, had stated: “Once you become a member of the Cabinet you have a duty of confidentiality. You should not be subject to overseas influence.” Kaieda pointed out, “Prime Minister Abe, then serving as LDP President, repeatedly stated that the Cabinet member in question should resign. Well, I would like to say the same thing right back to him.”
Kaieda also commented on the proposed revisions to the Workers Dispatching Law, which are scheduled to be debated in the Diet from October 28, stating, “The issue of the worsening of the provisions of the Worker Dispatching Law is not just a question for dispatch workers, but for regular workers as well.” Kaieda went on, “This is an important issue for sustaining Japanese society and protecting the regions, and I would like the Japanese people to think of this issue as if it were their own.” Asked by a reporter for his views on the legislative proposal for achieving equal pay for equal work, which the Japan Innovation Party is planning to submit to the Diet as a members bill, Kaieda pointed out, “I do not believe that achieving equal pay for equal work will eliminate the issues faced by dispatch workers. Dispatch work is of an interim and temporary nature. This proposed weakening of the Worker Dispatching Law will pave the way for lifelong dispatch work and lifelong low pay.” He added, however, that the Japan Innovation Party had asked the DPJ to submit the legislation as a joint proposal, and said that “if it is approved by our Next Cabinet then there is a possibility that the legislation may be submitted jointly.”
Kaieda announced that the DPJ had decided to hold its annual convention on January 17 of next year at a venue in the Tokyo Metropolitan area. He commented, “This is twenty years to the day since the Great Hanshin Earthquake. On this significant anniversary, I would like us to hold a convention which will work to accelerate recovery and reconstruction following the Great East Japan Earthquake.
According to the results of opinion polls conducted by certain media organizations, 70% of respondents said they were opposed to increases in consumption tax planned for October of next year. Asked by a reporter, “Do you think it will be possible for the government to raise the tax next year considering such circumstances?” Kaieda responded, “We have been emphasizing that we would like the Prime Minister to first keep his promises to reduce the number of Diet members, and to use the revenues from the tax increase to enhance social security, and then to create the appropriate conditions for raising consumption tax. We await the Prime Minister’s judgement on this [following the announcement of the revised GDP figures for the July-September quarter] on December 8.”
|
|
|
 |
|
