TOKYO (TR) – On Tuesday, the first policy meeting was held between the Liberal Democratic Party, Komeito and the Democratic Party for the People (DPFP). At the session, policy chiefs discussed new economic measures, such as the lowering of electricity and gas prices.
One topic was DPFP’s proposed raising of the annual amount of income for tax exemption to 1.78 million yen, up from the current 1.03 million yen. Under the current threshold, Workers have reduced to avoid paying taxes. This, in turn, has caused businesses to suffer from labor shortages.
However, the leader of the DPFP, Yuichiro Tamaki, has attracted attention of another sort. The day before, he admitted to having engaged in an extra-marital affair with a former gravure idol, reports Nippon News Network (Nov. 12).
At a press conference on Tuesday, Tamaki was asked what he would have done if the weekly magazines hadn’t published articles on his adultery. “As I said yesterday, it was an action that lacked composure and should be repented for,” Tamaki said.
When asked if he ever used political funds for the relationship, he said, “As for whether I used political funds, I did not use any for lodgings [with the former gravure idol].”
The Democratic Party for the People is the third-largest opposition party, and its significant gains in the Lower House election in October was one of the biggest developments. But Tamaki’s scandal has put a damper on that success.
Tamaki, however, appears undaunted. “I would like to contribute to restoring lost hopes by implementing economic policies to increase take-home pay, especially raising the basic deduction to 1.03 million yen and reducing tax burdens,” he said.
