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In the morning of October 11, a meeting of the policy chiefs of the DPJ, the LDP and New Komeito was held inside the Diet building. The ruling parties proposed that the following points be considered in the three-party talks on social security system reform: (1) ways of enhancing the social security system, in particular medical and long-term nursing care, in the near term, and (2) medium-term issues detailed in the report produced by the National Council on Social Security System Reform.
Following the meeting, DPJ Policy Research Committee Chair Mitsuru Sakurai commented to reporters regarding the ruling parties' proposal, saying, "I have taken it back [to the DPJ] on the assumption that there will be further discussions on it in the three-party talks." He said that the DPJ position on the proposal would be issued in a meeting of the party executive to be held on October 16.
Sakurai said, "With regard to the financing of medical and long-term nursing care, we have to consider the issue of financing from the Japan Health Insurance Association and the national treasury. Considering that financing of the long-term nursing care system is also facing extremely difficult conditions, I think that it is important for us to discuss this point.
President Kaieda has also pointed out that social security provisions are not sufficient on the occasion of the consumption tax raise. We would like to discuss this point. Whether the venue for this should be the three-party talks or the Diet is a matter for the party to decide, and so I have taken this question away with me." On the other hand, Sakurai said that "there were no concrete points made" regarding the widely discussed issue of the pension system and party strategists have said that "if there is no proposal
from the ruling parties we should not resume talks." He said that he would
discuss this matter internally before calling for a decision in the DPJ Executive Committee.
Sakurai commented on the value of the three-party talks, saying: "When systems change with a change of government that is the most confusing thing for the people. We should not make medium to long term issues material for politicking. I believe that it is meaningful if we have an environment under which thorough discussion can take place." He added, "The pension system is another matter, but medicine and long-term nursing care are medium-term issues and the question of financing looms particularly large.
Is it really ok to say that if we can't discuss the pension system we won't discuss medicine and long-term care either. I am of the opinion that we should respond in a flexible manner."
The ruling parties also proposed that if working level talks did not make progress, the policy chiefs could coordinate to provide a direction for talks.
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