Japan's new prime minister, Naoto Kan, has pushed a debate about raising the consumption tax to the top of the campaign for the upper house of parliament.

日本的新任首相菅直人推动了在上议院竞选活动中关于提高消费税率的讨论。

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Prime Minister Naoto Kan spoke about the advisory at a news conference.

日本首相菅直人在一个新闻发布会上谈到这一决定。

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The new minister is still coy about how much the consumption tax should be raised. Like Mr Kan, he appears to think doubling it would be a start.

这位新任财政大臣还没有明确提出消费税应有的升幅，但他似乎和菅直人一样，想以翻倍作为一个开端。

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For months Mr. Hatoyama Yukio, currently a leader of the New Party Sakigake, and Minister Kan have talked about forming a new party, but it is still just that, so much talk.

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"We keep hearing about accountability and transparency, " Kan told TIME in May.

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Yet before it jettisons Mr Kan the DPJ should be wary of jumping to the wrong conclusions about the vote.

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