On April 29, Prime Minister and DPJ President Yukio Hatoyama made the following appeal at the 81st central May Day rally.

On behalf of the Democratic Party of Japan, it is my pleasure to make this solidarity address to celebrate the occasion of the 81st May Day.

First of all, I would like to express my deep appreciation for your strong support in last year’s general election, in which we were able to work together with you all to achieve a change of government and to bring about a people’s government.

Furthermore, I take very seriously the fact that although people hold very high expectations of our administration, we have received various complaints from members of the public, and we are reflecting seriously on this. Using the voices of the Japanese people as a springboard, we are resolved to drastically revise those things that need to be revised, to make every effort to implement our electoral pledges in order to increase public confidence, and to fulfil the task that has been entrusted to us.

Just over six months have passed since the change of government. During that time there have been many twists, turns and detours, but our great political reform is proceeding steadily step by step. Based on the philosophy “From concrete to human beings”, we have dramatically changed budgetary allocation, reducing the public works budget by 18%, while increasing the budget for social security by 9.8% and the budget for education by 5.2%, and have managed to secure the budget for the first year of pledges made in our Manifesto. We have promoted government revitalization and a budgetary review, and will further eliminate rights and vested interests at both national and local level.

Conditions surrounding the economy and employment still remain extremely difficult, but our budgetary proposal includes such measures as a child allowance, making high school tuition free in real terms, widening the employment safety net, revitalizing medicine and nursing care, and introducing individual household income support for farmers. Free high school tuition has already been implemented and payment of the child allowance is due to start shortly. I am convinced that if we are able to go on to implement one by one these policies that protect lives, and protect livelihoods, every one will be able to experience the effects of the change of government in their daily lives.

What has been changed through the advent of a DPJ government? The political structure, the use of tax monies, and the relationship between central and local governments are all in the process of changing. During the first year of our administration, we are moving toward the implementation of a politics that puts people’s lives first. We have only just started to turn our hand to cleaning up the problems we have inherited from the previous administration. We will definitely complete our task within four years.

I have caused you a great deal of concern regarding the issue of moving the facilities at Futenma airbase, but it is impossible to carry out huge changes without resolution. We will definitely eliminate the dangers posed by Futenma and reduce the burden on the people of Okinawa. The DPJ will certainly not lose heart. We will always value the voices of citizens and move forward together with the Japanese people.

The DPJ will work together with workers and with the Japanese people in moving forward actively with reforms in order to create a new nation. Let’s pool our strength, and create a new Japan.