May 24, 2023
A bill to create a "fund to strengthen Japan's defense capabilities", which allows the allocation of a military budget of 43 trillion yen over the next five years, was passed in the House of Representatives plenary session on May 23.
In opposition to the bill, Japanese Communist Party representative Tamura Takaaki said, "It is unacceptable for the Diet to place an additional burden with the extraordinary military budget on the general public into the future."
Noting that the bill makes it possible to divert national medical institutions' reserve funds into the new "fund", Tamura stated, "The funds set aside for national hospitals should be used for facility renovation and for improvement of healthcare personnel's working conditions." Regarding a shift of the financial resources for disaster reconstruction to "military spending" as the bill aims, Tamura stated, "The resources should be used for reconstruction."
He pointed out that the bill enables the government to issue construction bonds to cover military spending for the first time since WWII, criticizing the bill for indefinitely increasing military spending.
Meanwhile, a rally calling for the scrapping of the bill took place near the Diet building. Dietmembers from the JCP, Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Social Democratic Party, and the Okinawa Whirlwind took part in the rally. JCP member of the House of Councilors Yamazoe Taku said, "I will thoroughly debate the bill in the Upper House so that the bill dies."
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A Kyodo News opinion poll (May 7) shows that 58% of respondents answered "inappropriate" regarding the government-proposed 43 trillion yen in military budget over the next five years while 39% opted for "appropriate". Regarding possible tax increases for the purpose of securing military funds, 80% did "not support", far exceeding the "support" response of 19%. In a Yomiuri Shimbun survey (May 3), 67% answered they are "opposed" to possible tax hikes for securing necessary resources for the country's military expansion.
In opposition to the bill, Japanese Communist Party representative Tamura Takaaki said, "It is unacceptable for the Diet to place an additional burden with the extraordinary military budget on the general public into the future."
Noting that the bill makes it possible to divert national medical institutions' reserve funds into the new "fund", Tamura stated, "The funds set aside for national hospitals should be used for facility renovation and for improvement of healthcare personnel's working conditions." Regarding a shift of the financial resources for disaster reconstruction to "military spending" as the bill aims, Tamura stated, "The resources should be used for reconstruction."
He pointed out that the bill enables the government to issue construction bonds to cover military spending for the first time since WWII, criticizing the bill for indefinitely increasing military spending.
Meanwhile, a rally calling for the scrapping of the bill took place near the Diet building. Dietmembers from the JCP, Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Social Democratic Party, and the Okinawa Whirlwind took part in the rally. JCP member of the House of Councilors Yamazoe Taku said, "I will thoroughly debate the bill in the Upper House so that the bill dies."
* * *
A Kyodo News opinion poll (May 7) shows that 58% of respondents answered "inappropriate" regarding the government-proposed 43 trillion yen in military budget over the next five years while 39% opted for "appropriate". Regarding possible tax increases for the purpose of securing military funds, 80% did "not support", far exceeding the "support" response of 19%. In a Yomiuri Shimbun survey (May 3), 67% answered they are "opposed" to possible tax hikes for securing necessary resources for the country's military expansion.
