Diet debate begins on consumption tax; Tanigaki says Noda lied to public
TOKYO —
Debate began in the Diet on Thursday over the government’s proposal to raise the consumption tax.
Opposition Liberal Democratic Party chief Sadakazu Tanigaki immediately went on the offensive, accusing Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda of lying and demanding that he dissolve the lower house and call a snap election to seek a public mandate on tax and social security reform.
Tanigaki said the tax hike proposal was a breach of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan’s election manifesto, TBS reported. He said Noda repeatedly said on the campaign trail that his party would not take any action that it had not promised in its 2009 manifesto.
The LDP chief demanded that Noda apologize to voters for lying and added that the public was fed up with the government which has broken one promise after another.
Noda countered that the DPJ promised it wouldn’t raise the consumption tax during the lower house term and he said he will keep that pledge, TBS reported. But he pointed out that a government needs to respond to changing circumstances, which sometimes means reassigning priorities.
However, Noda added that if his remarks on the campaign trail have been misunderstood, he will apologize to the public for not being clearer.
But he ruled out calling a snap election, explaining that tax and social security reform cannot be put off and that the public should be asked to hand down a judgement in an election after the bills have been enacted.
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24 Comments
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1
smithinjapan
Ah, the future of this nation looks so bright!
0
issa1
Look at this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-oG4PEPeGo
1
paulinusa
As Noda said, "A wise man changes his mind, a fool never". And yes, go back in history and add up how many times the LDP has "lied" to the public.
-2
Scrote
Tanigaki is partially correct. Stopping the Yanba dam was in the DPJ manifesto. Noda promised to implement the manifesto. Noda is going ahead with the Yanba dam, therefore Noda is a liar. On the consumption tax issue the DPJ only promised no increases during their four year term, which still seems to be the case.
I suppose we will be rid of the useless lump of Noda in a few months, but I don't expect much from any new government.
0
cactusJack
I expect the Beatles hit "Taxman" to top the charts again in this country.
0
MaboDofuIsSpicy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-oG4PEPeGo
Issa1, there is a link button. You put the link between these <>
2
originalusername
Of course he will be voted out for introducing increased taxes. People wont accent tax hikes because they dont realise how big of a problem Japan is in. I havent seen any clean-cut explanations like "if we dont increase taxes, nobody will get pensions", so to the average person it just looks like he is out to make life difficult for everyone. Meanwhile the opposition can have a field day, getting lots of support just for just opposing tax hikes; without offering a single solution to the actual problem.
What is the LDP proposing to get Japan out of financial strife? Any solutions at all? Or just arguing for politics sake?
0
originalusername
*wont accept tax hikes
0
Bluebris
"...the public was fed up with the governmentswhich have broken one promise after another."
I corrected that part for you. ;o)
0
tmarie
Tanigaki needs to shut his trap. How about HE look at all the lies his party has said to the public - heck, they wanted to raise taxes and now won't support it just to be petty. How about HE looks at all the problems his party created for this country - dispatch workers, high unemployment, losing the pension numbers, lower birthrate..
I am no fan of Noda but I really, really do wish he would tell Tanigaki to shut up and point out all the crap his party did.
0
Bluebris
"...the public was fed up with the governments which have broken one promise after another."
Lousy stupid fingers.....
0
Kapuna
Politician lied to the public? You are kidding, right?
-2
tmarie
Well tagaki's own party wanted to hike taxes ut since they lost they'll do anything to be petty - including going against what they wanted to do. They have no plans on what to do besides argue anything noda suggestions.
0
presto345
Tanigaki makes sure he stays in the news with his obnoxious statements.
1
GW
tanigaki you are am imbecile, GO AWAY yr embarassing as hell
2
shanabelle
Tanigaki do you have any ideas of your own? Jiminto have nothing constructive to say about anything!
1
edojin
Tanigaki is too stupid to realize what Japan's been through in the past 11 months. A powerful earthquake and a horrendous tsunami changed the picture. Tanigaki should not only be accused of lying but for being an idiot, too. Considering what has happened, Minshuto has done rather well in handling very difficult matters concerning all of this.
Then there is the growing problem of how to pay for Japan's senior citiziens ... funds that were drained by the Liberal Democtric Party when its greedy members built palaces in their name ... and probably pocketed some of the money along the way. The LDP is fully responsible for the lack of social security funds and pension funds. So they should not be carping about how Minshuto wants to support Japan's growing oldster ranks.
Perhaps the LDP wants to set up the social security and pension plans itself so that the money passes through their pockets before letting some of it dribble down to the people who really need it.
The LDP ... what a bunch of jerks ...l
0
billyshears
I think you are wrong because as an "average person", I realize taxes need to be increased for various reasons. The problem with consumption tax is that it is a regressive tax meaning that the lower one's income the bigger the burden. That aspect needs to be dealt with and maybe what the average Japanese citizen isn't clear about is the necessity of zero-rating some daily essentials (like food, children's clothing, electricity and gas). I think this is done in parts of the EC, so it could be done here too.
0
issa1
To edojin,
""Tanigaki is too stupid to realize what Japan's been through in the past 11 months. A powerful earthquake and a horrendous tsunami changed the picture. Tanigaki should not only be accused of lying but for being an idiot, too. Considering what has happened, Minshuto has done rather well in handling very difficult matters concerning all of this.""
You are an citizen japanese? I think not. I do not understand as someone can have sympathy with politicians like Noda-kan-Hatoyama. You knew mr. kan at the height of the crisis of Fukushima shortly after the tsunami went to the Fukushima plant and remained there for 40 minutes this means that there was a waste of valuable time to the beginning of the work to cool the reactors. Therefore kan is responsible for the accident of Fukushima Daiichi. I could list a multitude of atrocities committed by these goofy but I'll restrain myself.
1
zurcronium
Issa1,
You knowledge of Japan seems to be quite limited. During the Hanshin quake the LDP took days before they did anything. The PM finally showed up in Kobe and people threw vegetables at him. It was criminal. And you focus on 40 minutes, that is nothing at all. In fact Kan did more than any PM before facing such a crisis. He blasted TEPCO for lying about the nuclear failure. Any LDP PM would have lied with TEPCO. In fact LDP lies lead to TEPCO allowing the nuclear meltdown to occur, by loosening safety rules for nuclear plants. That is the fact.
0
Himajin
These politicians make me sick......all this in-fighting and taking digs at each other when there is so much to do! Shame on them all for using this crisis to try and scuttle each other.
0
Blair Herron
Some LDP members have been saying, "It's not a good idea to dissolve the lower house and hold a general election now. We need to cooperate with DPJ or we could not win the public's understanding." Those LDP members who are skeptical about Tanigaki are: Ishiba, Mori, Kono, Koizumi Shinjiro, Hirasawa... But still these LDP members are not giving Tanigaki any advice because Tanigaki's term as LDP president will end in September and they (especially Ishiba) are thinking of taking over Tanigaki's place next.
4
edojin
Issa1 I take it you must be one of those Japanese citizens who have been brainwashed by the LDP. While Mr. Kan was up there for 40 minutes ... where were the LDP members? They were busy snapping at his heels for doing what he was doing. They were useless throughout the days following the quake and tsunami.
And Issa1, who set up all those nuclear power plants throughout Japan and there in Fukushima Prefecture? All of this occurred during the LDP's watch. Did they take various safety factors into consideration? Apparently not. Following the tsunami, they should have been reflecting on their missteps during their days of overseeing the construction and operation of the nuclear power plants ... the responsibility of which they shifted to TEPCO.
I could go on and on, but it's all been said through countless comments on this site.
By the way Issa1 ... are you going to vote for the LDP in the next round of elections? It's your type that brings such corrupt politicials into power. Think things through before casting your vote ...
1
Blair Herron
True.
On Aug. 17, Kan asked Tanigaki to form a grand coalition. Tanigaki rejected the idea. LDP Secretary-General Nobuteru Ishihara said, "The overwhelming majority were negative about a grand coalition." A large proportion of LDP lawmakers believe that adopting a cooperative stance toward the DPJ would reduce the chances of a dissolution of the Lower House and, therefore, a Lower House election. They see that election as an opportunity to take back power from the DPJ.
Kan might have been incompetent during crisis; running around, yelling at people... But he was at least trying to solve the problems and asked LDP for cooperation. What LDP was thinking during the crisis was the next ELECTION.
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/politics/AJ201108186664
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