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Japan PM Noda reshuffles cabinet over tax bill | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Japan's Prime Minister, Yoshihiko Noda, has reshuffled his cabinet in an effort to gain opposition support for a bill that would double sales tax. | |
Five ministers were replaced, including Defence Minister Naoki Tanaka. Satoshi Morimoto, an academic, succeeds him. | |
The opposition Liberal Democratic Party had wanted four ministers removed. | |
Mr Noda's government wants to double the consumption tax rate to at least 10% by 2015 to help cut Japan's public debt and fund rising welfare costs. | |
"This reshuffle is to strengthen the cabinet and ensure that the government can make progress on several different policies, including tax and welfare reform," the prime minister told a news conference. | |
"I cannot allow this bill to be defeated. I will do my best to make sure this bill gets passed." | |
Mr Morimoto, a well-known security policy expert at Takushoku University, is reportedly the first non-politician to serve as Japan's defence minister. | |
Apart from Mr Tanaka, the Liberal Democratic Party had also demanded the removal of the ministers of transport, justice and agriculture, who face allegations of misbehaviour. | |
Mr Noda also replaced the minister for financial and postal reform. | |
The consumption tax legislation still faces challenges in the opposition-controlled upper house and from within the ruling Democratic Party. | |
The cabinet approved an outline of the legislation in February but has been stuck in negotiations since. | |
Mr Noda is looking to present the bill to the lower house before parliament ends its session on 21 June. |
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