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NAGUMO Speaks! RENGO's Statement by General Secretary

NAGUMO Speaks!
At the Start of the 173rd Extraordinary Session of the Diet

27 October 2009
  1. The 173rd Extraordinary Session of the Diet scheduled to stay for 36 daysuntil 30th of November was convened on 26th of October. The session isheld for the first time after the change of government and is expectedto respond fully to the trust and mandate received from the people atthe last general election.

  2. On the same day, at the plenary sessions of both theHouse of Representatives and the House of Councillors, Prime MinisterHatoyama gave his keynote address. At the beginning of his address, hestated that his government would conduct reforms of the systems includingthe public service system and public works as well as “cleanup of postwar administrative practices” by reviewing thoroughly how tax money isspent and how the budgets are formulated. He, then, expressed his policyideas based on “politics to protect life and to put top priority on thepeople’s lives”, “a society in which one can find one’s place and  onecan play one’s role; Japan where everyone is mutually supporting eachother”, “the economy for human beings”, “Japan’s role as a bridge” and fraternity.These ideas are connected with “a welfare-type society centered on work”which RENGO aims to build up. RENGO greatly appreciates Prime MinisterHatoyama’s  determination and preparedness to resolutely build¡¡up a newcountry by conducting “a major reform after 140 years since the MeijiRestoration”.

  3. Moreover, inhis speech, Prime Minister Hatoyama touched upon the Urgent EmploymentMeasures Headquarters set up at the request of RENGO on the basis ofextremely severe economic and employment situation. He particularly emphasizedurgent employment measures including measures for the needy, new graduatesor those who have not yet employed, considerations for small and medium-sizedenterprises and job creation. In this connection, the fact that he appealednation’s wide cooperation of local governments, companies, trade unionsand NPOs can be appreciated on the grounds that a clear stance of thegovernment on employment measures has been spelled out.

  4. In his keynote speech, policyideas which would underpin his government were shown. Most of the peoplewill empathize with the ideas and support them. However, the most importantthing is to show as early as possible a concrete process for embodyingthe ideas such as an administrative system, the process and funding sourcesfor realizing them. In the current session of the Diet, Hatoyama governmentis intending to concentrate on the discussions of such bills as measuresagainst swine influenza, review of postal service privatization, andsmooth financing for small and medium-sized enterprises. But the governmentstill faces a pile of difficult problems like aggravating economic situations,employment insecurity, reform of public service system, freezing or suspensionof public works and reduction of greenhouse gases emissions.

  5. Particularly,an urgent task is an immediate response to the employment problems whichare feared as they are more and more aggravating. RENGO will do all itcan for securing employment, and, at the same time, in response to the requestof the government, it will positively assist with any measure to recovera secure and safe society.