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On June 17, DPJ President Naoto Kan unveiled the DPJ government’s policy platform in the “2010 DPJ House of Councillors Manifesto Press Event”. He emphasized the need for “a strong economy, robust public finances and a strong social security system” and stated that their realization would be the way to realize the rebirth of Japan.
In the press event, Secretary General Yukio Edano first stressed that “The greatest challenge facing the Kan government is to break the impasse facing our nation and restore Japan’s vitality” and vowed, “in our Manifesto we have pledged to realize ‘a strong economy, robust public finances and a strong social security system’ and under strong leadership we will overcome vested interests and the vertically-partitioned ministerial bureaucracy and implement bold policies under the authority of politicians.” He explained that based on the circumstances surrounding the change of party leader, the party had given policies on political reform and foreign and security policy a significant position in the Manifesto, and added, “We would like as many people as possible to read [the Manifesto] and to give us the power to realize the hopes of the Japanese people.”
Next, Policy Research Committee Chair and Minister of State Koichiro Gemba explained that the Manifesto on this occasion “included an objective account of what [the administration] had managed to achieve and what it had not.” He expressed the opinion that “the Manifesto is a living organism, and we need to response flexibly to changes in the environment and circumstances. This Manifesto has been positioned as a document that complements the party Manifesto for [last general election by offering an opportunity to review it.” He said that a major characteristic of the Manifesto was that while being based on the topics of education, childrearing, and regional sovereignty that were included in the general election Manifesto, it also touched on growth strategy and restoring public finances to health, while acknowledging the challenge of financial resources, and that as one actual policy for a strong economy it referred to reducing corporation tax.
Gemba went on to explain about each of the following main sections in the Manifesto: 1) Cutting Waste and Government Revitalization, 2) Political Reform, 3) Foreign and Defence Policy, 4) Childrearing and Education, 5) Pensions, Medical Care, Nursing Care, and Welfare for the Disabled, 6) Employment, 7) Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Industries, 8) Postal Reform, 9) Regional Sovereignty, 10) Transport Policy and Public Works.
Kan said emphasized the need to achieve “a strong economy, robust public finances and a strong social security system” saying that this point “was included in the Manifesto since I wanted to make a strong appeal to the people”. He explained that implementing an integrated policy with regard to the economy, public finances and social security, areas which are usually considered to be in opposition to each other, would lead to the rejuvenation of Japan.
He went on to say that the “new growth strategy” would be approved by the Cabinet on June 18, that the details of a “medium-term fiscal framework” would be announced next week, and that a whole variety of social security policies had already been proposed. Kan emphasized that “creating a policy system involves ensuring good circulation between the economy, public finances and the social security system, and the Manifesto forms the essence of this concept.”
Furthermore, Kan referred to the sentence in the Manifesto that states: “We will initiate nonpartisan discussions regarding a comprehensive reform of the tax system” saying that he had taken the bold action of including this reference, so as to open the path toward realizing fiscal reconstruction and creating robust public finances, and through this to create a strong economy and strong social security system. He said that this is currently being discussed in the government’s Tax Commission and expressed the opinion that he would like to come up with a proposal for reforming the consumption tax within the current fiscal year. Kan added that he would like to take the rate of 10% proposed by the LDP as one point of reference, and to consider the matter under a bipartisan framework.
In the question and answer session following the press event, Gemba and Deputy Secretary General Goshi Hosono responded to questions.
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