１２年度予算成立 「赤字国債」で野党と接点探れ

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Apr. 7, 2012)
Seek common ground over deficit-covering bonds
１２年度予算成立　「赤字国債」で野党と接点探れ（4月6日付・読売社説）

The fiscal 2012 budget has finally passed the Diet.
　２０１２年度予算がようやく成立した。

General-account spending totals 90 trillion yen and total outlays for fiscal 2012 reach a record high if separate special-account spending on reconstruction from the Great East Japan Earthquake is included.
　予算の一般会計総額は９０兆円で、別枠の東日本大震災復興特別会計と合わせると過去最大だ。

The dole-out fiscal 2012 budget also includes such handout policies as income compensation for individual farmers. The budget relies on issuing new government bonds to cover 49 percent of total revenues, the highest percentage ever.
　農家の戸別所得補償などバラマキ政策も含まれ、国債依存度も過去最悪の４９％に上る。問題の多い予算である。

The fiscal 2012 budget has many problems. However, further delay must not be allowed, to facilitate reconstruction from the March 11, 2011, disaster and economic revitalization. The government should do its utmost to quickly implement the budget.
　だが、復興や経済再生にこれ以上の遅滞は許されない。政府は、速やかな予算執行に全力を挙げてもらいたい。

One concern is that there is virtually no prospect the Diet will pass a bill to enable the government to issue deficit-covering government bonds, due to objections from the opposition parties. If Diet passage of the bill, which will provide financial resources for the budget, is substantially delayed, the government will not be able to implement the budget, which will adversely affect people's lives.
　懸念されるのは、野党の反対で、赤字国債発行を可能にする特例公債法案の成立のメドが全く立っていないことだ。財源の裏付けとなる法案の成立が大幅に遅れれば、政府は予算を執行できず、国民生活に影響が出る恐れがある。

Last year, the bill for issuance of deficit-covering government bonds became a political football. Then Prime Minister Naoto Kan set passage of the bill as one of three conditions for his resignation, and the bill was enacted in late August.
　昨年、特例公債法案は政争の具となった。菅首相が自ら「退陣３条件」の一つに掲げ、８月下旬、なんとか成立にこぎ着けた。

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Avoid repeat of last year

Such turmoil should not be repeated this year. The government and the Democratic Party of Japan must create an environment in which they can secure cooperation from the opposition parties.
　今年は、混乱を繰り返すべきではない。政府・民主党は、野党から協力を取り付けるための環境整備を図らねばならない。

During deliberations on the fiscal 2012 budget, the opposition parties strongly criticized the government and the ruling parties for covering part of the government's share of contributions to basic pension benefits with special bonds. It is certain the government took such a tricky move--issuing special bonds--to make the issuance of government bonds appear low.
　今回の予算審議で野党は、基礎年金の国庫負担分の一部を交付国債で賄ったことを強く批判している。国債発行額を見かけ上低くするため、交付国債という奇策を弄したのは確かだ。

Saying it is an attempt to pull the wool over the people's eyes, the Liberal Democratic Party is urging the government to compile a supplementary budget and change the special bonds to deficit-covering bonds. This is worth discussing if it leads to cooperation with the LDP.
　自民党は「国民の目を欺くものだ」として、補正予算を編成し、赤字国債へ振り替えることを求めている。自民党との協調につながるなら、検討に値しよう。

Replacing special bonds with deficit-covering bonds will increase momentum toward the passage of the bill to issue deficit-covering government bonds.
　それが特例公債法案の成立機運を高めることになる。

During the latter half of the Diet session, many important bills, including one to raise the consumption tax rate and others on nuclear regulatory measures, are on the waiting list. The ruling and opposition parties should make efforts to build consensus on these matters.
　後半国会は、消費税率引き上げ関連法案や原子力規制関連法案など重要法案が目白押しだ。与野党は合意形成に努力すべきだ。

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Bold concessions needed

First of all, we suggest the government and the DPJ make bold concessions, such as withdrawing its new pension system plan, the main pillar of which is a minimum guaranteed pension of 70,000 yen a month.
　まずは、政府・民主党が、月額７万円の「最低保障年金」を柱とする新年金制度案の撤回など、大胆に譲歩してはどうか。

Due to opposition parties' resistance and the DPJ's poor Diet management, budget deliberations were delayed until the new fiscal year, forcing the government to compile a stopgap budget for the first time in 14 years.
　予算審議は、野党の抵抗に加えて、民主党の稚拙な国会運営で新年度にずれ込み、１４年ぶりの暫定予算編成に追い込まれた。

The DPJ leadership needs to review what Diet management should be, as the DPJ's way of managing the Diet poses problems for Japan's diplomacy as well.
　民主党執行部は、国会運営のあり方を見直す必要がある。日本外交にも支障が出ているためだ。

For example, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda was tied up with Diet deliberations when the Nuclear Security Summit was held in Seoul late last month and he was not able to fully utilize the opportunity for summit diplomacy, which is important for Japan.
　例えば、３月下旬のソウルでの核安全サミットの際、野田首相は国会審議に縛られ、日本にとって重要な首脳外交の機会を十分に生かせなかった。

The DPJ should present to the opposition parties a Diet schedule that takes the nation's diplomacy into account and squarely seek cooperation from them.
　民主党は、外交に配慮した国会日程を野党に示し、正面から協力を求めるべきだ。

The rejection of the DPJ's request for cooperation by the LDP, which was in power for years, would damage national interests. The main opposition party could not escape public criticism.
　長年、政権の座にあった自民党がそれを拒むなら、国益を損ね、世論の批判は免れまい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, April 6, 2012)
（2012年4月6日01時15分 読売新聞）