January 16, 2011
In contrast to five major newspapers urging the government to increase the consumption tax rate and join the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade pact, local newspapers are standing out in contrast by their criticism of these policies.
Next to fraud
Under the headline “Reshuffled cabinet unacceptable if its aim is tax increase,” the Tokyo Shimbun carried an article stating, “Even if a consumption tax rate increase would be inevitable in the end, the government should at first focus its effort on removing all wastes in administration, and the cabinet should have been re-revised to this end. No wonder that the convention of the Democratic Party of Japan had to face hecklers shouting ‘Is the DPJ changing its position to supporting a policy calling for a major tax increase?’” On the DPJ’s move to revise its Manifesto, the paper states, “If the DPJ too soon gives up realizing it without reflecting on its overly optimistic forecast or its careless proposal in the Manifesto, it is basically a fraud in which the party garnered supporters with unattainable promises.”
An article by Hokkaido Shimbun on the appointment of Yosano as a cabinet minister with the heading “Go back to basics and restart,” reports that Prime Minister Kan intends to focus his efforts on raising the consumption tax rate. It goes on to say, “The biggest task for the government is to realize people’s demands as expressed in the change of government. The government is responsible to maintain the voters’ trust. However, what the government actually did was to take many backward steps in both domestic and foreign policies to the point that now it looks and acts exactly like the former LDP government.”
Breach of public promise again
The Okinawa Times criticized the government for giving the important post to Yosano, who has been in the vanguard of attacking the DPJ to the last moment, as a political chameleon. The article goes on to state, “By appointing Yosano, consumption tax increase advocate, as a key cabinet minister, the Kan Cabinet has clarified its stance on the pretext of rehabilitating national finances. Prime Minister Kan says that the tax system should be reviewed during discussions on social services. However, if the government proposes a consumption tax increase without detailed discussions, the pretext for the government change would be reduced to nothing. The DPJ in the past argued that removing wasteful administrative costs will produce an enormous amount of revenues. This has in effect ended up as a case of counting the chickens before they were hatched.”
The Ryukyu Shimpo with the headline, “Questionable and risky government likely to break public promises and depend on bureaucrats,” states that Yosano’s entry into the cabinet is a change of its position to supporting a tax increase, another breach of public promise.
On the Futenma base issue, it states, “All cabinet ministers alike ignore the voices of Okinawans, while relying on the scenario scripted by bureaucrats. This is a cabinet that is easy for bureaucrats to handle.”
The Shinano Mainichi states, “The DPJ in last year’s House of Councilors election suffered a crushing defeat because of Prime Minister Kan’s remarks supporting a consumption tax increase. The prime minister should have learned lesson from that outcome. Even within the DPJ, many Dietmembers are cautious about Japan’s entry in the TPP. In a meeting of DPJ Dietmembers, many criticized Japan’s entry into TPP as being too abrupt. It is reasonable that the DPJ has to explain its position clearly.”
Next to fraud
Under the headline “Reshuffled cabinet unacceptable if its aim is tax increase,” the Tokyo Shimbun carried an article stating, “Even if a consumption tax rate increase would be inevitable in the end, the government should at first focus its effort on removing all wastes in administration, and the cabinet should have been re-revised to this end. No wonder that the convention of the Democratic Party of Japan had to face hecklers shouting ‘Is the DPJ changing its position to supporting a policy calling for a major tax increase?’” On the DPJ’s move to revise its Manifesto, the paper states, “If the DPJ too soon gives up realizing it without reflecting on its overly optimistic forecast or its careless proposal in the Manifesto, it is basically a fraud in which the party garnered supporters with unattainable promises.”
An article by Hokkaido Shimbun on the appointment of Yosano as a cabinet minister with the heading “Go back to basics and restart,” reports that Prime Minister Kan intends to focus his efforts on raising the consumption tax rate. It goes on to say, “The biggest task for the government is to realize people’s demands as expressed in the change of government. The government is responsible to maintain the voters’ trust. However, what the government actually did was to take many backward steps in both domestic and foreign policies to the point that now it looks and acts exactly like the former LDP government.”
Breach of public promise again
The Okinawa Times criticized the government for giving the important post to Yosano, who has been in the vanguard of attacking the DPJ to the last moment, as a political chameleon. The article goes on to state, “By appointing Yosano, consumption tax increase advocate, as a key cabinet minister, the Kan Cabinet has clarified its stance on the pretext of rehabilitating national finances. Prime Minister Kan says that the tax system should be reviewed during discussions on social services. However, if the government proposes a consumption tax increase without detailed discussions, the pretext for the government change would be reduced to nothing. The DPJ in the past argued that removing wasteful administrative costs will produce an enormous amount of revenues. This has in effect ended up as a case of counting the chickens before they were hatched.”
The Ryukyu Shimpo with the headline, “Questionable and risky government likely to break public promises and depend on bureaucrats,” states that Yosano’s entry into the cabinet is a change of its position to supporting a tax increase, another breach of public promise.
On the Futenma base issue, it states, “All cabinet ministers alike ignore the voices of Okinawans, while relying on the scenario scripted by bureaucrats. This is a cabinet that is easy for bureaucrats to handle.”
The Shinano Mainichi states, “The DPJ in last year’s House of Councilors election suffered a crushing defeat because of Prime Minister Kan’s remarks supporting a consumption tax increase. The prime minister should have learned lesson from that outcome. Even within the DPJ, many Dietmembers are cautious about Japan’s entry in the TPP. In a meeting of DPJ Dietmembers, many criticized Japan’s entry into TPP as being too abrupt. It is reasonable that the DPJ has to explain its position clearly.”
