The Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday unveiled its policy platform for the local elections.
The TPP’s 80-page policy white paper is more substantive and practical than typical reports submitted by central ministries to the legislature, TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said.
The party’s platform has on four core goals: stabilizing society, supporting families, safeguarding health and safety, and bolstering industries, he said.
Photo: Chen Yi-kuan, Taipei Times
It includes housing justice, people-oriented transportation, family support, age-friendly communities, education, physical and mental health, low-carbon development, industrial upgrading and social inclusion, he added.
The amendments to the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures (財政收支劃分法) would give local governments adequate funding through a more transparent fiscal system, Huang said.
The TPP intends to monitor spending closely to ensure public funds are used effectively, he said, adding that mayors and county heads would no longer need political connections to secure budgets for infrastructure projects.
Several TPP candidates also outlined their local priorities.
Chiayi mayoral candidate Chang Chi-kai (張啟楷) said his platform includes building a light rail system and urging full central funding for an elevated railway project.
Chang said he also intends to push for National Health Insurance premiums for seniors aged 65 and older, and providing free lunches for elementary and junior-high school students.
Yilan chapter head Chen Wan-hui (陳琬惠), who is running for Yilan county commissioner, said economic development, transportation and healthcare are the county’s most pressing needs.
She proposed a model similar to Taipei’s Nangang Software Park to create jobs in creative, research and software industries, allowing residents to work closer to home as well as potentially attracting talent from across Taiwan.
The local elections is to take place on Nov. 28.
Meanwhile, Huang said a joint agenda with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has been largely drafted and is awaiting ratification.
The KMT still needs to carry out internal candidate nomination procedures, which the TPP respects, he said.
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