政権公約見直し―予算案修正と一体で臨め

2011/01/15
--The Asahi Shimbun, Jan. 14
EDITORIAL: DPJ's manifesto review
政権公約見直し―予算案修正と一体で臨め

The ruling Democratic Party of Japan decided in a party convention Thursday to revise by summer its manifesto for the 2009 Lower House election.
　民主党がきのうの党大会で、夏までに２００９年衆院選のマニフェスト（政権公約）を見直す方針を決めた。

As for the draft budget for next fiscal year, which is based on the manifesto, DPJ Secretary-General Katsuya Okada recently indicated the spending plan should also be subject to change.
　この政権公約を土台に編成している新年度予算案についても、同党の岡田克也幹事長が先日、「修正に否定的ではない。

"We are not opposed to a revision (to the draft budget)," Okada said. "The plan drawn up by the government is not final. There should be the possibility for the plan to be changed through debate."
政府が出したものが最終ではなく、議論で変えることはあっていい」と述べている。

We welcome the fact that the government and the DPJ have shown a willingness to change problematic elements in the party's campaign platform and the government's spending blueprint.
　問題のある政権公約や予算案について、政府・与党が修正に柔軟な姿勢を示したことを評価したい。

But summer may be too late for the proposed revision to the manifesto.
　ただし公約の見直しが夏というのは遅すぎないか。

It is, of course, necessary for the party to hold sufficient debate on the matter. But it doesn't make sense that the draft budget for the new fiscal year, to be deliberated by the Diet during the upcoming regular session, will not reflect any of the changes in the party's manifesto that might be made through the review.
　十分な党内論議を積み重ねることはもちろん必要だ。とはいえ、これから開く国会で審議する新年度予算案に、見直しの成果がまったく反映されないのではつじつまが合わなくなる。

If the outlooks of specific programs and projects remain murky, the opposition parties could create problems for the ruling party in enacting the budget.
　政策の行方が今後どうなるかわからないという状況のなかで、予算案を通してくれと言われても、野党が理解を示すとは思えない。

A major change to a budget bill during a Diet session is extremely rare. There have been a few cases of minor revisions in the past, but no large-scale amendment to a budget bill, such as changing the budget framework, has ever happened.
　国会開会中の本格的な予算案修正は極めて異例である。過去には小規模な修正例が数件あるだけで、枠組みを変えるような大がかりな修正例はない。

However, the ruling camp now needs to demonstrate its commitment to adjusting its policy agenda to the realities by showing a willingness to make such a radical change to its spending plan.
だが今こそ、それも辞さない覚悟を、政府・与党に求めたい。

Amending the budget bill is necessary, but not as a gambit to ensure its passage in the Diet. It is necessary because it is clear that the DPJ's election manifesto, which has served as a basis for budget formulation since the previous administration of former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, needs to be reformed considerably.
　予算案修正が必要なのは、単に成立を図るための国会対策の方便としてではない。鳩山政権以来、予算の土台となってきた政権公約は、財源の確保や制度づくりの難しさに照らして、かなり修正が必要なことがはっきりしているからである。

For example, the abolition of expressway tolls, one of the key DPJ election promises, is no longer a reasonable policy goal given the troubles raised by the initiative, such as the negative effects on public transportation services, traffic congestion on expressways and the financing problem.
　例えば政権公約の目玉の一つである高速料金の原則無料化は、他の公共交通機関への影響、渋滞や財源の問題があって、もはや最終ゴールにはなりえない。

There is no convincing case for providing funding for a continuation of the "experimental" scrapping of tolls for some expressways under the budget for the fiscal year starting in April.
にもかかわらず新年度予算案に社会実験の継続が盛り込まれるのは、説得力を欠く。

The newly introduced program to prop up the income of farmers with direct cash payments has hampered consolidation of fragmented farmland because all farmers, including small-scale ones, selling rice and other staples are eligible. It has become clear that the program represents an impediment to efforts to improve efficiency in Japanese agriculture. Does the ruling camp intend to keep the program alive without tackling this problem?
　農業の戸別所得補償は、零細農家を含めすべての販売農家を対象としたことで農地集約の障害となり、効率化が進まないという欠陥が露呈した。それを放置したまま制度を続けるのか。

Regarding the child allowance program, the government has decided to keep providing 13,000 yen ($157) a month per child--half of the amount the DPJ promised--to households with young children. Does the administration plan to eventually increase the allowance to the promised amount?
　子ども手当は、政権公約にうたった額の半分、月１万３千円の給付を続けるが、いずれ満額まで上積みする前提なのか。

Other issues related to the child-allowance initiative need to be addressed, such as whether support should be provided in the form of goods and whether an income cap on eligibility should be introduced.
現物給付に重点を移す道や所得制限導入の是非も論点として残る。

If the futures of these policy measures remain uncertain, the people cannot develop their life plans.
　もろもろの政策の行き着く先が見えぬままでは、国民は制度継続を前提に生活設計はできない。

The government should steer its policy agenda in an appropriate direction as soon as possible to prevent any disruption in the people's lives and economic activities.
適切な方向に早くかじを切り直し、国民生活や経済活動が停滞しないようにすべきだ。

That requires the ruling bloc to reconsider its main policy promises ahead of schedule and amend the draft budget flexibly through Diet debate.
　それには主要施策の政権公約だけでも前倒しで見直し、国会論戦を通じて予算案を柔軟に修正すべきである。

Prime Minister Naoto Kan should give the public a detailed explanation about the reasons for the changes and the new directions of the policies.
　もちろんその際、菅直人首相は修正理由と新たな政策の方向について、国民に丁寧に説明しなければならない。

The opposition parties, for their part, should not refuse debate on such changes without good reason and make their judgments from the viewpoint of public interest.
野党もいたずらに審議を拒むことなく、国民本位で判断してもらいたい。