つなぎ法案 協調維持へバラマキ撤回急げ

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Mar. 24, 2011)
Handout policies should be sacrificed
つなぎ法案　協調維持へバラマキ撤回急げ（3月23日付・読売社説）

The nation faces a time of emergency in the aftermath of a massive earthquake, tsunami and nuclear plant accidents.
　巨大地震と原子力発電所の事故という国家の非常時である。

So it is natural for the ruling and opposition parties to close ranks to pass bills that are necessary to overcome the current crisis.
　与野党が協調し、必要な立法措置に取り組むのは当然と言えよう。

A stopgap bill has been submitted to the House of Representatives to extend by three months about 100 tax reduction and exemption measures that are set to expire at the end of this month. Two opposition parties, the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito, submitted the bill in line with a three-way agreement they reached with the ruling Democratic Party of Japan. It will likely pass the Diet before the end of this month.
　今月末で期限が切れる約１００項目の税負担の減免措置について３か月延長する「つなぎ法案」が衆院に提出された。民主、自民、公明３党の合意に基づき自公両党が提出したもので、月内に成立する見通しだ。

A government-proposed bill on tax system reform calls for a cut in income tax deductions and other measures that the LDP and Komeito oppose. But if the bill fails to pass, it will lead to nullification of several measures that the LDP and Komeito do not oppose, including a tax break for home buyers, when the current fiscal year ends on March 31.
　政府が提出した税制改正法案には、所得控除の縮小など自公両党が反対する内容が含まれている。ただ、法案が成立しないと、住宅購入時の減税の継続など、自公両党が反対していない措置まで失効してしまう。

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A tripartite agreement

To avoid this, the three parties agreed to draw up the stopgap bill containing only measures that can be approved by the LDP and Komeito.
　これを回避するため、自公両党も賛成できる部分を抜き出したものが、つなぎ法案だ。

The three parties have also agreed to pass a bill to revise the Customs Tariff Law to reduce tariffs on imported products and goods.
　３党は、輸入品にかかる税金を割り引く関税定率法改正案も成立させることで合意している。

It is a basic duty of political parties, which are responsible for state politics, to try to avoid situations that would harm people's livelihoods.
　国民生活に支障が出る事態を避けるのは、国政を担う政党として最低限の責務である。

But the ruling and opposition parties have yet to iron out their differences concerning the bill for expansion of child-rearing allowances and the bill to enable issuance of deficit-covering government bonds, which are among the budget-related bills.
　しかし、予算関連法案のうち、子ども手当法案と、赤字国債の発行を可能にする特例公債法案への対応をめぐっては、依然、与野党の折り合いがついていない。

In regard to the child-rearing allowances, the DPJ has given up its plan to provide an additional 13,000 yen per child from April and now is considering simply continuing the current system under which 13,000 yen a month is given to parents of children up to the third year of middle school.
　子ども手当について、民主党は４月からの上乗せは見送る一方、月額１万３０００円を支給する現行制度の継続を検討している。

The LDP is calling for the abolishment of the expanded child-rearing allowance system and restoring the former system, which covered children only up to the sixth grade of primary school and set an income ceiling for eligibility for the allowances.
　自民党は、子ども手当を廃止して旧児童手当に戻すよう求めている。

The major opposition party proposed abolition of the expanded child-rearing allowances and nullification of a plan to make highway tolls free as conditions for approval of the bill for issuance of deficit-financing government bonds.
さらに、子ども手当や高速道路無料化などの廃止を特例公債法案に賛成する条件にしている。

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More concessions needed

Restoration and reconstruction in the aftermath of the enormous earthquake and tsunami are estimated to cost more than 10 trillion yen. The government cannot afford to set aside more than 2 trillion yen for payment of child-rearing allowances.
　震災の復旧・復興に必要な財源は１０兆円を超える見込みだ。子ども手当に２兆円を超える巨費を投じる余裕などない。

To ensure passage of the bill for issuance of deficit-covering government bonds, which is indispensable as a means of securing revenue, the government and the DPJ should decide to withdraw their handout policies, including the expanded distribution of child-rearing allowances.
　歳入の確保に必須の特例公債法案の成立を期すためにも、政府・民主党は、子ども手当などバラマキ施策の撤回を決断すべきだ。

If the DPJ announces its withdrawal of such policies, it will be able to align views and reach agreement with the LDP and Komeito on reinstatement of tax deductions for parents of children up to the third year of middle school--deductions that were abolished to secure financial resources for the expanded child-rearing allowances.
　子ども手当の財源確保のために廃止した年少扶養控除の復活なども、撤回を宣言すれば、自公両党との調整・合意は可能だろう。

Concerning the plan to make all highways toll-free, Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister Akihiro Ohata told a news conference Tuesday that fiscal resources for implementation of the plan should instead "be used mainly for reconstruction from the disaster." He is quite right.
　高速道路無料化をめぐっては、大畠国土交通相が２２日の記者会見で、実施に必要な財源を「災害復興にあてることを中心に考える」と表明した。当然である。

In addition to the budget and budget-related bills, the Diet will have to deliberate on special bills to carry out disaster-response measures. Therefore, both the ruling and opposition parties are urged to make concessions where necessary.
　国会は、予算案や関連法案を成立させる以外にも、震災対応の特別立法を制定する作業が控えている。譲るべきところは譲る姿勢が与野党双方に求められる。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 23, 2011)
（2011年3月23日01時34分 読売新聞）