Airing the dirty laundry

It’s never a good day when a party leader publicly berates his MPs. Today was no different. The Japan Restoration Party is apparently still working out the kinks in its communication lines and philosophy of governance. And Mr. Hashimoto is not pleased with the way the first few months of parliament have gone. Alas, these things happen I suppose.

橋下氏「維新の国会議員団 は当選ボケ、野党の哲学見 えない」 日銀総裁案賛 意で
2013.2.26 21:12

日本維新の会共同代表の橋下徹大阪市長 は２６日、次期日銀総裁に黒田東彦アジア 開発銀行総裁を充てる人事案に賛意を示す 維新の国会議員団を「当選ボケだ。野党の 役割がいまいちボケはじめている」と不快 感を示した。

さらに「（賛否は）国会議員団に委ね るが、野党としての哲学が見えない」と指 摘し、電子メールで国会議員団に「しっか り議論してほしい」などと伝えたことを 明らかにした。橋下氏は「岩田規久男学習 院大教授の総裁、黒田氏は副総裁が、維新 の哲学として合う」とも語った。市役所で 記者団の質問に答えた。

Hashimoto says “Restoration’s Parliamentary group is this election’s idiot, opposition’s mentality not apparent” regarding approval of BoJ president nomination

Osaka mayor Toru Hashimoto, also joint spokesman for the Japan Restoration Party, said that the Restoration Party’s Parliamentary contingent was “the election idiot. We’ve started off as the fool, and don’t quite have the opposition party role down,” showing his displeasure at the vote approving the nomination of Haruhiko Kuroda, current president of the Asian Development Bank, as the president of the Bank of Japan.

Also, he pointed out that “Entrusting (votes) to a parliamentary group, this doesn’t demonstrate the mindset of an opposition party.” He further revealed that he had emailed the legislators saying, “Please discuss this properly.” Hashimoto said, “Professor Kikuo Iwata of Gakushuin University for president, and Kuroda for vice-president, suits Restoration’s philosophy.” He said this in answer to reporters’ questions at City Hall.