An overwhelming 78 percent of voters do not expect much from a new party that political heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa says he may form, as opposed to 15 percent who do, an Asahi Shimbun survey shows.
A majority of voters, or 52 percent, oppose new legislation to raise the consumption tax rate, compared with 39 percent who support it, according to the survey.
The nationwide telephone poll was conducted June 26-27 after the Lower House passed a bill to double the consumption tax rate to 10 percent by 2015. The Asahi Shimbun contacted 1,872 voters at random and received 1,043 valid responses, or 56 percent.
The approval rate for Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's Cabinet remained unchanged at 27 percent from a previous survey carried out June 4-5, while the disapproval rate increased 5 percentage points to a record 56 percent.
Sixty-one percent of voters said they do not support Ozawa and other lawmakers voting against the consumption tax hike legislation in the Lower House, while 29 percent said they do.
Among voters who supported Ozawa voting against the legislation, 42 percent said they have expectations for a new party he says he may form after leaving the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, while 48 percent said they do not.
In the previous survey, which asked about the consumption tax increase legislation in slightly different wording, 56 percent said they opposed it and 32 percent supported it.
Asked if they approve Noda's efforts to raise the consumption tax rate, 59 percent said they do not, compared with 31 percent who said they do.
Asked if they approve of Noda's efforts to reform the social security system, 54 percent said they do not, compared with 30 percent who said they do.
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