DistantNews
Support us
🇹🇼 Taiwan /Elections & Politics

Taiwan Executive Yuan may refuse to endorse 'Future Account' bill; opposition slams 'contempt for legislature'

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Under investigation
  • A legislative committee meeting to discuss a "Taiwan Future Account" bill ended without agreement due to disputes between parties and the administration.
  • The ruling party's potential refusal to endorse the opposition's bill has drawn criticism for disrespecting legislative authority and misusing public funds.
  • Opposition lawmakers argue that the government's approach of treating child subsidies as "gifts" rather than legislative matters undermines democratic principles.

A legislative committee session aimed at harmonizing different versions of the "Taiwan Future Account" bill collapsed Wednesday, with lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties trading accusations and the administration signaling potential non-endorsement of the opposition's proposals.

The person who made the statement should be sent to the Control Yuan.

— Wang Yu-minKMT legislator criticizing the Executive Yuan's potential refusal to endorse opposition bills.

The committee was scheduled to deliberate on the "Taiwan Future Account Special Statute Draft" and the "Taiwan Children and Youth Investment Savings Account Statute Draft." However, disagreements over the content of the bills and the lack of a proposed version from the executive branch led to the breakdown of negotiations. The session was presided over by Kuomintang (KMT) convener Lu Hsien-yi.

Reports emerged earlier that the Executive Yuan intends to proceed with child growth subsidies without amending existing laws or enacting new legislation. Administration sources indicated that government subsidies are considered "property gifts" and can be handled under the principle of "payment administration." They also suggested that if the KMT and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) bills pass the legislature, the Executive Yuan might consider not endorsing them. These sources emphasized that issuing subsidies is a "gift" of property, not requiring new legislation, and that recipients would not be taxed.

This is contempt for the Legislative Yuan's review authority.

— Wang Yu-minKMT legislator criticizing the Executive Yuan's preemptive remarks on proposed legislation.

KMT legislator Wang Yu-min sharply criticized this stance, calling it "contempt for the Legislative Yuan's review authority." She argued that the Executive Yuan should review the bills before expressing an intention not to endorse them. Wang also opposed the administration's characterization of subsidies as "gifts," questioning how public funds could be privatized and calling the approach of "doing things the easy way" unacceptable. TPP legislator Chiu Hui-ju echoed these sentiments, stating that the administration's preemptive remarks disrespect democratic rule of law and threaten both legislators and the public.

The administration's preemptive remarks disrespect democratic rule of law and threaten both legislators and the public.

— Chiu Hui-juTPP legislator commenting on the Executive Yuan's stance on the "Taiwan Future Account" bill.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog