[talk] Reviewing the Bureaucratic Policy Decision-Making System ---The Role of Policy Aides---

MShigeru Satake: Policy Aide for Sayuri Kamata, Member of the House of Representatives
Koji Ogata: Polcy Aide for Takaichi Sanae, Member of the House of Representatives
Takaaki Sasaki: Researcher, Tokyo Foundation
Yutaka Matsuzaki: Secretary for Koji Yasuoka, Member of the House of Representatives

The mutual dependence between politicians and bureaucrats has been highlighted since issues regarding Diet Member Muneo Suzuki arose. The four policy aides who joined this round table discussion all agree that adhesion between politicians and bureaucrats has been constantly observed.

Even when develop policies, the situation where policy aides should naturally exert their abilities, policy aides often ask bureaucrats to perform the work, unless they have exceptional expertise in that area. Meaningful policy discussions should take place in Committees, but they are often no more than a venue where lobbyist-politicians look after their own interests. Therefore, the policymaking system does not function well.
While it is expected that Prime Minister Koizumi, with his strong leadership, will bring forward changes, he so far still seems to be waiting and watching the moves of the conventional factions. During this period, a suspicion arose that Kiyomi Tsujimoto, Member of the House of Representatives, might have unfairly diverted the allowances for her policy aide, resulting in her resignation from the Diet. Tsujimoto claimed that her aide advised her over the phone, but Mr. Sasaki concern that the role of the policy aide is underestimated here, and this incident may foster the idea that the system of policy aides should be eliminated. It has become apparent that allowances for policy aides are often pocketed, and participants of the round table discussion were in unanimous agreement that this is often the case.

While there is an opinion that salaries for policy aides are too high when compared with their function, Mr. Matuzaki asserts that one should not focus only on the negative aspects, but should revise the salary level for policy aides in accordance with their abilities and achievements.

The essence of the problem is whether the system allows political aides to perform their expected role in policy planning.

While Mr. Ogata insists that the absolute numbers of the policy aides are insufficient, Mr. Satake argues that in order to improve the current situation, quality is as important as quantity. The current "training system" is based on a requirement of 10 years experience as a secretary to become a policy aide. While the discussion has centered on such measures as a "pool system" and the elimination of policy aides, which would lead to an increase in the number of secretaries as working staff, no one is addressing methods aimed to improve the quality of policies. Everyone agreed that the time is right to begin the discussion of how to increase the quality of policies.