Top silk called in as fate of Minns staff threatened with arrest remains undecided
NSW Legislative Council President Ben Franklin will meet with top barrister Bret Walker SC on Tuesday morning as he contemplates inquiry chair and independent MP Rod Roberts' request to seek arrest warrants for the staffers, including NSW Premier Chris Minns' chief of staff.
Police allege the incident, which Minns described at the time as an act of terror that could have caused mass casualties, was the work of organised crime figures who allegedly orchestrated several antisemitic attacks across Sydney in a plot to gain leverage over police.
Minns later revealed he had been briefed of the possible involvement of organised crime. The upper house inquiry is probing who knew what and when, and if the government raced to push the hate-laws through under false pretences.
Minns and Police Minister Yasmin Catley were asked to appear before the inquiry, but because they are lower house MPs, they are not obliged and cannot be compelled to front the upper house.
The committee then called the five staffers, which include Minns and Catley's chiefs of staff and senior advisers. When the staffers refused to appear at the inquiry, Roberts asked Franklin late on Friday to seek an arrest warrant.
Esteemed constitutional expert Anne Twomey AO has posted a YouTube video about the subject, saying compelling lower house staffers to appear at an upper house inquiry and threatening them with arrest could be interpreted as breaching the legal principle that the two houses of parliament should respect each other and not 'act coercively against each other'.
Her opinions drew the ire of MP Mark Latham, a long-time critic of the hate-laws in question, who used two YouTube accounts to criticise Twomey for her 'jaundiced and ill-informed contribution' in a spate of angry comments.
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News.com.au
5 minutes ago
- News.com.au
YouTuber Pete Zogoulas reveals he was charged with stalking for videos exposing alleged ‘scammers'
A popular Aussie prank YouTuber has revealed how his home was raided by police and he nearly spent eight years in prison over videos exposing alleged 'scammers'. Pete Zogoulas, who has 251,000 subscribers to his Pete Z channel, had gained viral fame for his 'sneak-in' videos, filming himself trespassing in various locations including theme parks, hotels and planes. The 25-year-old abruptly stopped posting new content a year ago. On Saturday, Zogoulas returned with a 26-minute video explaining his absence. 'I went to prison because of YouTube,' he said. The video opens up with police bodycam footage of the August 10, 2024 raid on his Brisbane home. 'So Pete, as I said before, I do have a search warrant for this premises, OK?' an officer tells Zogoulas as he sits on his couch looking shell-shocked. 'And now you're detained under that search warrant. I have to let you know that you have the right to remain silent. So if you do answer any questions or make any statement, it may later be used as evidence.' Zogoulas went on to explain that he had landed in hot water after pivoting from his sneak-in videos, which he said looking back were 'pretty messed up', to exposing alleged scammers. 'I knew my life's purpose was not for me to just be sneaking in and trespassing and doing all those kinds of things,' he said. 'So I thought to myself, how do I go from someone who does bad things to making content that actually helps people? I made a massive pivot in my content, which was to do exposing scammer videos. Now I thought this was the most innocent kind of videos that I could possibly have done where I finally felt like I was doing something good for the society and I was doing good for people.' Zogoulas said he was confused when his first scammer videos, titled 'I Exposed A Scammer On His Own Local Billboard' and 'I Scammed A Scammer', were taken down by YouTube after generating millions of views, and his Instagram account was banned. Then came 'the worst day of my life'. In bodycam footage, police inform Zogoulas that the search warrant is 'in relation to a stalking matter'. Zogoulas said the stalking charge stemmed from his use of an AirTag — hidden in a Star Wars Mandalorian piggy bank — to track an individual as part of his own investigation. 'It wasn't like I was actually following him to his house or anything like that, but under the law that's technically stalking, I suppose,' he said. 'So, there's that. And then for me to actually post the video goes under cyber-bullying and harassment. I didn't have any bad intent and it still didn't matter. Still technically a law is broken according to them.' Footage showed police seizing a number of electronics, along with the AirTag and Mandalorian piggy bank, from Zogoulas' room. Zoglouas was charged with unlawful stalking in relation to incidents on April 8 and July 1, 2024, and using a carriage service to 'menace, harass or cause offence'. He was also hit with two additional, unrelated trespass charges from a year earlier. 'All I was trying to do was make content to help people who had been scammed by scammers,' Zoglouas said. 'Isn't it ironic that police would never help me catch a scammer, but then they help a scammer catch me for putting them in my videos? Like, it's kind of crazy.' Zoglouas argued the charges were 'pretty excessive'. 'There's actual people committing dangerous acts in the name of those charges, those crimes, and then you just get me for doing a YouTube video,' he said. He was taken to Brisbane Watch House and placed in a holding cell 'like a little box'. 'They eventually took me out of that and put me into an actual holding cell, like a larger one with like five other people,' he said. 'They were asking me like, 'Oh, is this your first time?'' Zoglouas said he was held in jail for five hours before he was charged and released on bail, to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on January 29. Under his bail conditions, Zoglouas was prohibited from contacting the alleged victims, approaching them or attending certain locations, or publishing any information or images of them on social media. It wasn't until his first court date that Zoglouas realised the gravity of his situation and the potential prison time he was facing. The stalking offence carried a maximum penalty of five years in prison, while the harassment charge risked up to three years. Eventually Zoglouas' lawyers reached a deal with prosecutors to have the two more serious charges dropped if he undertook Adult Restorative Justice Conferencing, or justice mediation, and plead guilty to the trespass charges. 'I have to speak to this … mediator and then have the two victims on the other side where I like, you know, have to sign some agreements, like apologise and really understand what I did wrong, et cetera,' he said. Zoglouas was also required to pay compensation. 'It all made sense to me why this all happened, why those scammer videos were getting taken down,' he said. 'The police officers, the [prosecutors], were constantly reporting those videos. That is the reason why, because they were charging me with those crimes. They saw what I did to them, which was expose what they were doing, and then they thought they want to take it out with revenge on me. So that's how I saw it anyway.' Zoglouas appeared in court in April where he avoided a conviction on the trespass charges. 'It is finally over,' he said. 'After eight months we actually did it. We went from a conviction to only getting an $800 fine.' Zoglouas said he was relieved the ordeal was finally over and he could return to making videos. 'I could have done up to eight years in prison,' he said. 'I'm going to have to really gain your trust again and I'm excited to do that … I love you guys.' Zoglouas has been contacted for comment. 'As this matter has been finalised through the courts, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further,' a Queensland Police spokeswoman told
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Japan's shaky government loses upper house control
Japan's ruling coalition has lost control of the upper house in an election, further weakening Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's grip on power even as he vowed to remain party leader, citing a looming tariff deadline with the United States. While the ballot does not directly determine whether Ishiba's administration will fall, it heaps pressure on the embattled leader who also lost control of the more powerful lower house in October. Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and coalition partner Komeito returned 47 seats, short of the 50 seats it needed to ensure a majority in the 248-seat upper chamber in an election where half the seats were up for grabs. That comes on top of its worst showing in 15 years in October's lower house election, a vote that has left Ishiba's administration vulnerable to no-confidence motions and calls from within his own party for leadership change. Speaking late on Sunday evening after exit polls closed, Ishiba told NHK he "solemnly" accepted the "harsh result". "We are engaged in extremely critical tariff negotiations with the United States ... we must never ruin these negotiations. It is only natural to devote our complete dedication and energy to realising our national interests," he later told TV Tokyo. Asked whether he intended to stay on as premier, he said, "that's right". Japan, the world's fourth-largest economy, faces a deadline of August 1 to strike a trade deal with the United States or face punishing tariffs in its largest export market. The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party finished second with 22 seats. Meanwhile, the far-right Sanseito party announced its arrival in mainstream politics, adding 14 seats to one elected previously. Launched on YouTube a few years ago, the populist party found wider appeal with its "Japanese First" campaign and warnings about a "silent invasion" of foreigners. Opposition parties advocating for tax cuts and welfare spending struck a chord with voters, as rising consumer prices - particularly a jump in the cost of rice - have sowed frustration at the government's response. The LDP has been urging fiscal restraint, with one eye on a very jittery government bond market, as investors worry about Japan's ability to refinance the world's largest debt pile. Any concessions the LDP must now strike with opposition parties to pass policy will only further elevate those nerves, analysts say. "The ruling party will have to compromise in order to gain the co-operation of the opposition, and the budget will continue to expand," said Yu Uchiyama, a politics professor at the University of Tokyo. "Overseas investors' evaluation of the Japan economy will also be quite harsh." Japan's ruling coalition has lost control of the upper house in an election, further weakening Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's grip on power even as he vowed to remain party leader, citing a looming tariff deadline with the United States. While the ballot does not directly determine whether Ishiba's administration will fall, it heaps pressure on the embattled leader who also lost control of the more powerful lower house in October. Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and coalition partner Komeito returned 47 seats, short of the 50 seats it needed to ensure a majority in the 248-seat upper chamber in an election where half the seats were up for grabs. That comes on top of its worst showing in 15 years in October's lower house election, a vote that has left Ishiba's administration vulnerable to no-confidence motions and calls from within his own party for leadership change. Speaking late on Sunday evening after exit polls closed, Ishiba told NHK he "solemnly" accepted the "harsh result". "We are engaged in extremely critical tariff negotiations with the United States ... we must never ruin these negotiations. It is only natural to devote our complete dedication and energy to realising our national interests," he later told TV Tokyo. Asked whether he intended to stay on as premier, he said, "that's right". Japan, the world's fourth-largest economy, faces a deadline of August 1 to strike a trade deal with the United States or face punishing tariffs in its largest export market. The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party finished second with 22 seats. Meanwhile, the far-right Sanseito party announced its arrival in mainstream politics, adding 14 seats to one elected previously. Launched on YouTube a few years ago, the populist party found wider appeal with its "Japanese First" campaign and warnings about a "silent invasion" of foreigners. Opposition parties advocating for tax cuts and welfare spending struck a chord with voters, as rising consumer prices - particularly a jump in the cost of rice - have sowed frustration at the government's response. The LDP has been urging fiscal restraint, with one eye on a very jittery government bond market, as investors worry about Japan's ability to refinance the world's largest debt pile. Any concessions the LDP must now strike with opposition parties to pass policy will only further elevate those nerves, analysts say. "The ruling party will have to compromise in order to gain the co-operation of the opposition, and the budget will continue to expand," said Yu Uchiyama, a politics professor at the University of Tokyo. "Overseas investors' evaluation of the Japan economy will also be quite harsh." Japan's ruling coalition has lost control of the upper house in an election, further weakening Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's grip on power even as he vowed to remain party leader, citing a looming tariff deadline with the United States. While the ballot does not directly determine whether Ishiba's administration will fall, it heaps pressure on the embattled leader who also lost control of the more powerful lower house in October. Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and coalition partner Komeito returned 47 seats, short of the 50 seats it needed to ensure a majority in the 248-seat upper chamber in an election where half the seats were up for grabs. That comes on top of its worst showing in 15 years in October's lower house election, a vote that has left Ishiba's administration vulnerable to no-confidence motions and calls from within his own party for leadership change. Speaking late on Sunday evening after exit polls closed, Ishiba told NHK he "solemnly" accepted the "harsh result". "We are engaged in extremely critical tariff negotiations with the United States ... we must never ruin these negotiations. It is only natural to devote our complete dedication and energy to realising our national interests," he later told TV Tokyo. Asked whether he intended to stay on as premier, he said, "that's right". Japan, the world's fourth-largest economy, faces a deadline of August 1 to strike a trade deal with the United States or face punishing tariffs in its largest export market. The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party finished second with 22 seats. Meanwhile, the far-right Sanseito party announced its arrival in mainstream politics, adding 14 seats to one elected previously. Launched on YouTube a few years ago, the populist party found wider appeal with its "Japanese First" campaign and warnings about a "silent invasion" of foreigners. Opposition parties advocating for tax cuts and welfare spending struck a chord with voters, as rising consumer prices - particularly a jump in the cost of rice - have sowed frustration at the government's response. The LDP has been urging fiscal restraint, with one eye on a very jittery government bond market, as investors worry about Japan's ability to refinance the world's largest debt pile. Any concessions the LDP must now strike with opposition parties to pass policy will only further elevate those nerves, analysts say. "The ruling party will have to compromise in order to gain the co-operation of the opposition, and the budget will continue to expand," said Yu Uchiyama, a politics professor at the University of Tokyo. "Overseas investors' evaluation of the Japan economy will also be quite harsh." Japan's ruling coalition has lost control of the upper house in an election, further weakening Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's grip on power even as he vowed to remain party leader, citing a looming tariff deadline with the United States. While the ballot does not directly determine whether Ishiba's administration will fall, it heaps pressure on the embattled leader who also lost control of the more powerful lower house in October. Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and coalition partner Komeito returned 47 seats, short of the 50 seats it needed to ensure a majority in the 248-seat upper chamber in an election where half the seats were up for grabs. That comes on top of its worst showing in 15 years in October's lower house election, a vote that has left Ishiba's administration vulnerable to no-confidence motions and calls from within his own party for leadership change. Speaking late on Sunday evening after exit polls closed, Ishiba told NHK he "solemnly" accepted the "harsh result". "We are engaged in extremely critical tariff negotiations with the United States ... we must never ruin these negotiations. It is only natural to devote our complete dedication and energy to realising our national interests," he later told TV Tokyo. Asked whether he intended to stay on as premier, he said, "that's right". Japan, the world's fourth-largest economy, faces a deadline of August 1 to strike a trade deal with the United States or face punishing tariffs in its largest export market. The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party finished second with 22 seats. Meanwhile, the far-right Sanseito party announced its arrival in mainstream politics, adding 14 seats to one elected previously. Launched on YouTube a few years ago, the populist party found wider appeal with its "Japanese First" campaign and warnings about a "silent invasion" of foreigners. Opposition parties advocating for tax cuts and welfare spending struck a chord with voters, as rising consumer prices - particularly a jump in the cost of rice - have sowed frustration at the government's response. The LDP has been urging fiscal restraint, with one eye on a very jittery government bond market, as investors worry about Japan's ability to refinance the world's largest debt pile. Any concessions the LDP must now strike with opposition parties to pass policy will only further elevate those nerves, analysts say. "The ruling party will have to compromise in order to gain the co-operation of the opposition, and the budget will continue to expand," said Yu Uchiyama, a politics professor at the University of Tokyo. "Overseas investors' evaluation of the Japan economy will also be quite harsh."
The Advertiser
11 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Japan PM laments 'harsh' upper house election result
Japan's ruling coalition is certain to lose control of the upper house after an election, public broadcaster NHK reports, an outcome that further weakens Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's grip on power as a tariff deadline with the United States looms. While the ballot does not directly determine whether Ishiba's administration will fall, it heaps political pressure on the embattled leader who also lost control of the more powerful lower house in October. Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and coalition partner Komeito were certain to fall short of the 50 seats needed to secure the 248-seat upper chamber in an election where half the seats were up for grabs, NHK said early on Monday, with six seats still to call. That comes on top of its worst showing in 15 years in October's lower house election, a vote which has left Ishiba's administration vulnerable to no-confidence motions and calls from within his own party for leadership change. Speaking late on Sunday evening after exit polls closed, Ishiba told NHK he "solemnly" accepted the "harsh result". "We are engaged in extremely critical tariff negotiations with the United States ... we must never ruin these negotiations. It is only natural to devote our complete dedication and energy to realizing our national interests," he later told TV Tokyo. Asked whether he intended to stay on as prime minister and party leader, he said "that's right". Japan, the world's fourth largest economy, faces a deadline of August 1 to strike a trade deal with the United States or face punishing tariffs in its largest export market. The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party was set to finish second, vote counts showed. The populist nationalist Sanseito party, birthed on YouTube a few years ago, announced its arrival in mainstream politics with its "Japanese First" campaign and warnings about a "silent invasion" of foreigners winning broader support. It was set to add at least 13 seats to one elected previously. Opposition parties advocating for tax cuts and welfare spending have struck a chord with voters, the exit polls suggested, as rising consumer prices - particularly a jump in the cost of rice - have sowed frustration at the government's response. "The LDP was largely playing defence in this election, being on the wrong side of a key voter issue," said David Boling, a director at consulting firm Eurasia Group. "Polls show that most households want a cut to the consumption tax to address inflation, something that the LDP opposes. Opposition parties seized on it and hammered that message home." The LDP has been urging for fiscal restraint, with one eye on a very jittery government bond market, as investors worry about Japan's ability to refinance the world's largest debt pile. Any concessions the LDP must now strike with opposition parties to pass policy will only further elevate those nerves, analysts say. "The ruling party will have to compromise in order to gain the co-operation of the opposition, and the budget will continue to expand," said Yu Uchiyama, a politics professor at the University of Tokyo. "Overseas investors' evaluation of the Japan economy will also be quite harsh." Sanseito, which first emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic questioning vaccinations and decrying global elites, is among those advocating fiscal expansion. But it is its tough talk on immigration that has grabbed attention, dragging once-fringe political rhetoric into the mainstream. Japan, the world's oldest society, registered a record-high number of foreign-born residents last year of about 3.8 million. That is still just 3 per cent of the total population, a much smaller fraction than in the United States and many European countries, but comes amid a tourism boom that has made foreigners far more visible across the country. Japan's ruling coalition is certain to lose control of the upper house after an election, public broadcaster NHK reports, an outcome that further weakens Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's grip on power as a tariff deadline with the United States looms. While the ballot does not directly determine whether Ishiba's administration will fall, it heaps political pressure on the embattled leader who also lost control of the more powerful lower house in October. Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and coalition partner Komeito were certain to fall short of the 50 seats needed to secure the 248-seat upper chamber in an election where half the seats were up for grabs, NHK said early on Monday, with six seats still to call. That comes on top of its worst showing in 15 years in October's lower house election, a vote which has left Ishiba's administration vulnerable to no-confidence motions and calls from within his own party for leadership change. Speaking late on Sunday evening after exit polls closed, Ishiba told NHK he "solemnly" accepted the "harsh result". "We are engaged in extremely critical tariff negotiations with the United States ... we must never ruin these negotiations. It is only natural to devote our complete dedication and energy to realizing our national interests," he later told TV Tokyo. Asked whether he intended to stay on as prime minister and party leader, he said "that's right". Japan, the world's fourth largest economy, faces a deadline of August 1 to strike a trade deal with the United States or face punishing tariffs in its largest export market. The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party was set to finish second, vote counts showed. The populist nationalist Sanseito party, birthed on YouTube a few years ago, announced its arrival in mainstream politics with its "Japanese First" campaign and warnings about a "silent invasion" of foreigners winning broader support. It was set to add at least 13 seats to one elected previously. Opposition parties advocating for tax cuts and welfare spending have struck a chord with voters, the exit polls suggested, as rising consumer prices - particularly a jump in the cost of rice - have sowed frustration at the government's response. "The LDP was largely playing defence in this election, being on the wrong side of a key voter issue," said David Boling, a director at consulting firm Eurasia Group. "Polls show that most households want a cut to the consumption tax to address inflation, something that the LDP opposes. Opposition parties seized on it and hammered that message home." The LDP has been urging for fiscal restraint, with one eye on a very jittery government bond market, as investors worry about Japan's ability to refinance the world's largest debt pile. Any concessions the LDP must now strike with opposition parties to pass policy will only further elevate those nerves, analysts say. "The ruling party will have to compromise in order to gain the co-operation of the opposition, and the budget will continue to expand," said Yu Uchiyama, a politics professor at the University of Tokyo. "Overseas investors' evaluation of the Japan economy will also be quite harsh." Sanseito, which first emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic questioning vaccinations and decrying global elites, is among those advocating fiscal expansion. But it is its tough talk on immigration that has grabbed attention, dragging once-fringe political rhetoric into the mainstream. Japan, the world's oldest society, registered a record-high number of foreign-born residents last year of about 3.8 million. That is still just 3 per cent of the total population, a much smaller fraction than in the United States and many European countries, but comes amid a tourism boom that has made foreigners far more visible across the country. Japan's ruling coalition is certain to lose control of the upper house after an election, public broadcaster NHK reports, an outcome that further weakens Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's grip on power as a tariff deadline with the United States looms. While the ballot does not directly determine whether Ishiba's administration will fall, it heaps political pressure on the embattled leader who also lost control of the more powerful lower house in October. Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and coalition partner Komeito were certain to fall short of the 50 seats needed to secure the 248-seat upper chamber in an election where half the seats were up for grabs, NHK said early on Monday, with six seats still to call. That comes on top of its worst showing in 15 years in October's lower house election, a vote which has left Ishiba's administration vulnerable to no-confidence motions and calls from within his own party for leadership change. Speaking late on Sunday evening after exit polls closed, Ishiba told NHK he "solemnly" accepted the "harsh result". "We are engaged in extremely critical tariff negotiations with the United States ... we must never ruin these negotiations. It is only natural to devote our complete dedication and energy to realizing our national interests," he later told TV Tokyo. Asked whether he intended to stay on as prime minister and party leader, he said "that's right". Japan, the world's fourth largest economy, faces a deadline of August 1 to strike a trade deal with the United States or face punishing tariffs in its largest export market. The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party was set to finish second, vote counts showed. The populist nationalist Sanseito party, birthed on YouTube a few years ago, announced its arrival in mainstream politics with its "Japanese First" campaign and warnings about a "silent invasion" of foreigners winning broader support. It was set to add at least 13 seats to one elected previously. Opposition parties advocating for tax cuts and welfare spending have struck a chord with voters, the exit polls suggested, as rising consumer prices - particularly a jump in the cost of rice - have sowed frustration at the government's response. "The LDP was largely playing defence in this election, being on the wrong side of a key voter issue," said David Boling, a director at consulting firm Eurasia Group. "Polls show that most households want a cut to the consumption tax to address inflation, something that the LDP opposes. Opposition parties seized on it and hammered that message home." The LDP has been urging for fiscal restraint, with one eye on a very jittery government bond market, as investors worry about Japan's ability to refinance the world's largest debt pile. Any concessions the LDP must now strike with opposition parties to pass policy will only further elevate those nerves, analysts say. "The ruling party will have to compromise in order to gain the co-operation of the opposition, and the budget will continue to expand," said Yu Uchiyama, a politics professor at the University of Tokyo. "Overseas investors' evaluation of the Japan economy will also be quite harsh." Sanseito, which first emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic questioning vaccinations and decrying global elites, is among those advocating fiscal expansion. But it is its tough talk on immigration that has grabbed attention, dragging once-fringe political rhetoric into the mainstream. Japan, the world's oldest society, registered a record-high number of foreign-born residents last year of about 3.8 million. That is still just 3 per cent of the total population, a much smaller fraction than in the United States and many European countries, but comes amid a tourism boom that has made foreigners far more visible across the country. Japan's ruling coalition is certain to lose control of the upper house after an election, public broadcaster NHK reports, an outcome that further weakens Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's grip on power as a tariff deadline with the United States looms. While the ballot does not directly determine whether Ishiba's administration will fall, it heaps political pressure on the embattled leader who also lost control of the more powerful lower house in October. Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and coalition partner Komeito were certain to fall short of the 50 seats needed to secure the 248-seat upper chamber in an election where half the seats were up for grabs, NHK said early on Monday, with six seats still to call. That comes on top of its worst showing in 15 years in October's lower house election, a vote which has left Ishiba's administration vulnerable to no-confidence motions and calls from within his own party for leadership change. Speaking late on Sunday evening after exit polls closed, Ishiba told NHK he "solemnly" accepted the "harsh result". "We are engaged in extremely critical tariff negotiations with the United States ... we must never ruin these negotiations. It is only natural to devote our complete dedication and energy to realizing our national interests," he later told TV Tokyo. Asked whether he intended to stay on as prime minister and party leader, he said "that's right". Japan, the world's fourth largest economy, faces a deadline of August 1 to strike a trade deal with the United States or face punishing tariffs in its largest export market. The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party was set to finish second, vote counts showed. The populist nationalist Sanseito party, birthed on YouTube a few years ago, announced its arrival in mainstream politics with its "Japanese First" campaign and warnings about a "silent invasion" of foreigners winning broader support. It was set to add at least 13 seats to one elected previously. Opposition parties advocating for tax cuts and welfare spending have struck a chord with voters, the exit polls suggested, as rising consumer prices - particularly a jump in the cost of rice - have sowed frustration at the government's response. "The LDP was largely playing defence in this election, being on the wrong side of a key voter issue," said David Boling, a director at consulting firm Eurasia Group. "Polls show that most households want a cut to the consumption tax to address inflation, something that the LDP opposes. Opposition parties seized on it and hammered that message home." The LDP has been urging for fiscal restraint, with one eye on a very jittery government bond market, as investors worry about Japan's ability to refinance the world's largest debt pile. Any concessions the LDP must now strike with opposition parties to pass policy will only further elevate those nerves, analysts say. "The ruling party will have to compromise in order to gain the co-operation of the opposition, and the budget will continue to expand," said Yu Uchiyama, a politics professor at the University of Tokyo. "Overseas investors' evaluation of the Japan economy will also be quite harsh." Sanseito, which first emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic questioning vaccinations and decrying global elites, is among those advocating fiscal expansion. But it is its tough talk on immigration that has grabbed attention, dragging once-fringe political rhetoric into the mainstream. Japan, the world's oldest society, registered a record-high number of foreign-born residents last year of about 3.8 million. That is still just 3 per cent of the total population, a much smaller fraction than in the United States and many European countries, but comes amid a tourism boom that has made foreigners far more visible across the country.
