Takaichi and LDP weigh disciplinary action for party members who abstained from food tax vote

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and the Liberal Democratic Party find themselves in a quandary about what to do with four LDP lawmakers who, in a surprise move, abstained from voting on the food consumption tax reduction bill, which passed the Lower House on Friday.

The party is expected to discipline the four over their actions. But it faces a dilemma, as an internal backlash could erupt if the punishment is seen as too strong or too weak.

The LDP leadership demanded that the four — former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Yuko Obuchi, Hajime Funada and Yoshihisa Furukawa — submit written statements Monday as to why they defied their own party over the bill to cut the tax from 8% to 1% for a two-year period starting next April by walking out before it was voted on.

“The consumption tax is intended to be fully allocated to social security expenses, such as medical care, nursing care, pensions and childcare, which are expected to increase exponentially,” Ishiba told reporters Monday after sending his statement to party headquarters.

All four expressed concerns while the bill was being debated in the Lower House about where the government would find the money to make up for the annual tax revenue shortfall of ¥5 trillion ($31.6 billion) the bill’s passage is expected to create and whether the measure would be effective.

“It’s extremely problematic to lose financial resources for (social security expenses) when we don’t have an alternative way to fund the shortfall,” said Ishiba.

With the LDP holding a two-thirds majority, the bill, a key goal of the Takaichi administration, easily cleared the Lower House Friday.

But Friday’s sudden rejection by the LDP Lower House lawmakers could complicate its passage in the opposition-controlled upper chamber. Opposition parties against the bill are sure to argue that even prominent LDP members are opposed.

LDP leaders are also concerned that Upper House party lawmakers who share similar concerns as Ishiba and the others may also rebel if the party doesn’t reprimand them.

“The bill needed to be voted in accordance with the party line. Party discipline is extremely important,” LDP policy chief Takayuki Kobayashi said on Friday.

Takaichi, meanwhile, refrained from commenting on the move by the four, telling reporters Friday that the actions were those of the individual lawmakers.

“We submitted this bill with confidence, and we will provide a solid explanation of its significance and effects,” Takaichi said.