From the 26th, the Diet began asking questions from representatives of each party in response to Prime Minister Kishida's policy speech at the plenary session of the House of Councillors, and debates were exchanged over the pros and cons of possessing "counterattack capability" and the organization of the Science Council of Japan.
Mizuoka, chairman of the House of Councilors of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, commented on the drastic strengthening of defense capabilities, saying, "Isn't it a contradiction to say, 'maintaining an exclusively defensive policy' while claiming the possession of 'counterattack capabilities' and a significant increase in the defense budget? Why did the cabinet make a decision and widely publicize the significant change in security policy without providing a detailed explanation to the Diet or setting up a forum for discussion?"
In response, Prime Minister Kishida said, "I believe that this is a major change in Japan's security policy, but it will only be carried out within the scope of the constitution and international law. Counterattack capability is based on attacks by ballistic missiles, etc. In such a case, it will be used as a minimum self-defense measure based on the three requirements for the use of force, and will not deviate from the exclusively defense-oriented policy. We will engage in active parliamentary debates with the ruling and opposition parties."
Regarding the review of the organization of the Science Council of Japan, Mr. Mizuoka said, ``The law on the Science Council of Japan clearly stipulates the 'independence' of the council, and it is not a council of experts or an advisory council of the government. It is not necessary to always share a common awareness or timeline, and sometimes it is necessary to raise issues from different perspectives.”
In response, Prime Minister Kishida said, ``Sharing awareness of issues does not mean sharing conclusions with the government. As long as there is, it is necessary to conduct deliberations, etc., while fully taking into account the awareness of the issues on the part of the recipient and the timeline, etc. In order to continue to be understood and trusted by the public, thorough transparency and governance functions are necessary. need to be strengthened," he said.
On the other hand, Prime Minister Kishida said in relation to measures to deal with the declining birthrate, "Since there are various opinions among the public regarding the introduction of the selective married couple surname system, it is necessary to thoroughly discuss and gain the understanding of a wider public. "Same-sex marriage is an issue that touches the core of how families should be in Japan, and requires extremely careful consideration."
Former chairman of the National Public Safety Commission of the Liberal Democratic Party Yamamoto commented on the G7 Hiroshima Summit, "In the reality of the severe security environment, where Russia's words and deeds have heightened serious concerns over nuclear weapons, we must realize the ideal of a world without nuclear weapons. I would like to ask about your efforts for the G7 Hiroshima Summit.”
In response, Prime Minister Kishida said, "At the G7 Hiroshima Summit, we will send a strong message to the world that we will never be allowed to neglect the history of the 77 years since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in which no nuclear weapons were used. At the same time, we will proceed with realistic and practical efforts while gaining the wisdom of the International Council of Eminent Persons, including the Hiroshima Action Plan."
Regarding wage increases, Mr. Yamamoto said, "In order to turn the economy positive in this phase of rising prices, it is important not to let personal consumption cool down, and the key to that is wage increases. In the future, how will we proceed with structural wage increases through labor migration to growth industries?"
In response, Prime Minister Kishida said, ``The biggest prescription for the current high prices is wage increases. In order to realize wage increases, we will steadily implement a policy package worth 1 trillion yen over five years as support for facilitating the movement of labor between companies and industries."