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On November 5, DPJ Secretary General Yukio Edano held a press conference at party headquarters. He severely criticized the proposed revisions of the Worker Dispatching Law, stating, “While the Liberal Democratic Party supports the government-sponsored revisions, Komeito says its amendments to the government proposal are the best way, even though it has already withdrawn them. Today the Chair of the Committee on Health, Labour and Welfare in the House of Representatives exercised his authority as Chair to force deliberations on the bill to begin. This is an extremely inappropriate way to handle a bill which has been designated as one of the key bills [for this session by both ruling and opposition parties], and can by no means be described as a ‘normal’ way to proceed with debate.”
Edano went on, “Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Shiozaki does not have sufficient knowledge about the proposed revisions to the Worker Dispatching Law. The committee stops repeatedly so that he can answer questions while receiving briefings from Ministry bureaucrats. The proposed revisions are a crucial issue which will devastate Japan’s robust middle-class and our society as a whole.” Edano stated that the DPJ and other opposition parties would unite to call for thorough and careful discussion in the Diet. Asked for his opinion on Shiozaki’s suitability as Minister, Edano answered, “I was amazed to note that Shiozaki did not understand the fundamentals of the Worker Dispatching Law revisions. Over and above his suitability to serve as Minister, this may have exposed a fundamental defect of the revisions.”
Edano also commented on his forthcoming visit to the Republic of Korea, stating: “The two purposes of my visit are to meet with senior politicians belonging to the [ruling] Saenuri Party and [main opposition party] the New Political Alliance for Democracy, and to attend the joint general meeting of the Japan-Korea and Korea-Japan Cooperation Committees. Various difficult issues exist between Japan and Korea, and I therefore hope this might promote mutual understanding between the two nations over the mid to long term and in particular lead to exchanges between politicians who represent the next generation.
Edano also commented on news that the Republican Party had gained majorities in both Houses of Congress following the U.S. mid-term elections, stating, “Whatever the result, there will be no change in Japan’s stance that the Japan-U.S. Alliance is the cornerstone of Japanese diplomacy. I also believe that there will be no change in the U.S.’ belief in the importance of the Alliance either.”
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