Four Liberal Democratic Party members, including former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, left the chamber before a Lower House vote on a bill to cut the consumption tax on food and drink, and a senior opposition figure said the walkout could change how ruling party lawmakers vote in the Upper House.
Shunichi Mizuoka, the Constitutional Democratic Party's representative, told a news conference on the 9th that the departure was "quite sensational, or rather, a major event." The four left the plenary session on the 6th before the vote, he said.
The others were Yuko Obuchi, Yoshihisa Furukawa and Hajime Funada, all Lower House members. Mizuoka said their reasons, including that the bill's funding sources are not clear, match what his own party has been saying.
“It is a very serious matter that they left after saying things close to our party's thinking.”Shunichi Mizuoka, leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party
He called the walkout "quite a shock" for the ruling party and said it would probably affect how its lawmakers vote in the House of Councillors. Ishiba's participation raised the stakes further, he said.
“If even someone who has been prime minister takes such action, we should see the seriousness of the matter as even greater.”Shunichi Mizuoka
A shift away from the tax cut
Mizuoka also addressed criticism that his party had reversed course. The CDP campaigned in the Upper House election in July last year on cutting the consumption tax on food and drink, and has since switched to prioritizing cash handouts.
He rejected the charge that the party was simply opposing the government, saying food prices now contribute about 30% to inflation, down from roughly 50% last year.
He pointed to higher costs for products made from naphtha, a crude oil derivative used in plastics, as well as for transport and energy. "The phase has changed," he said. "Now I want to prioritize getting payments directly to people who are struggling, and quickly."