皆さん、こんにちは！
上野ひろし事務所スタッフです。
さて今回は、議員が今国会に提出した「国会議員歳費削減法案 」に関連して、
２月１０日付のThe Japan Timesに、インタビュー記事が掲載されましたので、
御紹介させていただきます。
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平成２４年２月１０日（金） The Japan Times ３面
Opposition parties support the idea of a salary cut, and Your Party is probably the strongest promoter.
The party recently submitted a bill to reduce Diet members' salaries by 30 percent and bonuses by 50 percent.
"I don't think the public can accept the tax hike if we don't share the burden,"said Your Party member and Upper House lawmaker Hiroshi Ueno, who submitted the bill to the Diet last month.
Last year, Diet members' salaries were reduced by \500,000 a month for six months through October to secure more money for the Tohoku reconstruction. Ueno said the salary cut should continue.
"I know it's tough for law makers, but we could do it for six months. I think we can do it again for a longer period."
Konishi agrees the salary level of Diet members is high compared with the U.S. and U.K., but how much is required for election campaigns and the cost of hiring private secretaries should also be taken into account, he said.
"Politicians pay for their secretaries' salaries and their activities in the electoral districts, and they tend to be in debt before they're elected,"said Konishi who employs extra four private secretaries besides the standard three public secretaries." So if you just look at the number, it seems like a lot of money. But not much is left(for a lawmaker), and Diet members have no retirement money and pension."
Konishi said he thinks he needs more staff to draft bills.
"I had six people working under me when I was at the Internal Affairs and Communication Ministry. Now that I have become a politician, I can only have three public secretaries."
Nakano of Sophia University pointed out that although law-maker's salaries are lower in the U.S., they receive more subsidies to employ aides. According to representatives can hire up to the National Diet Library, U.S. representatives can hire up to 22 staff member of aides is unlimited.
Ueno, who has two private secretaries in addition to the three public secretaries, agrees that there should be more staff to work on policies.
"it would be better if we can discuss our salary combined with the issue of (the small number of)secretaries".
Nakano said a more beneficial move would be to cut the government subsidies for political parties, which totaled \32 billion for nine parties in 2011, rather than trimming Lower House seats. But the public seems to think they need fewer lawmakers, who they feel are incapable, he said.
"We wonder how some people could even become politicians. We also have many second-generation politicians. And those at the top tend to get embroiled in scandal, so there's no wonder why the public doesn't want many politicians."
Konishi agrees that improving "quality" of politicians is important. Along with the debate on pay cuts and reducing the size of the Diet, he said lawmakers should discuss how they can draw capable people to run for office and how parties can train them.
"What we need to discuss first is the process of selecting Diet members and nurturing those elected. Debating the number of politicians should come after that," he said.
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