Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has issued a tough warning to opposition parties not to oppose a bill to raise the consumption tax.

The prime minister was speaking at the ruling Democratic Party's annual convention on Monday.

Noda emphasized the need to maintain party unity, and said it is not the DPJ but Japan and its people that are on the edge of a cliff.

He expressed his determination to carry out a unified reform of social security and taxation, including a consumption tax increase.

Noda said across-the-board administrative reforms that include salary cuts for government workers and political reform are a precondition for the tax increase.

He stressed that lawmakers must make sacrifices, reiterating that the number of Diet seats as well as legislators' salaries need to be cut.

Noda added that if the bill to raise the sales tax is not supported by the opposition parties, he will send it to the Upper House anyway to force the opposition to consider the crucial choice on the tax issue.

The ruling coalition lacks a majority in the Upper House, making the opposition bloc's cooperation essential for enacting new laws. The main opposition Liberal Democratic Party and the New Komei Party are reluctant to hold discussions with the DPJ on the consumption tax.

Source: http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120116_30.html

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