Workers' Party positions 'not always consistent or coherent', S'pore 'must guard against populism': PM Wong

PM Lawrence Wong criticized the Worker's Party (WP) for an inconsistent approach towards policy proposals and called for a rejection of populism in politics. This criticism was made at the biennial People's Action Party (PAP) Conference on October 25th, where Wong, the Secretary-General of the PAP, addressed various subjects. Wong stated, "The opposition has taken different positions at different times, depending on the concerns of the day, or what they believe will be popular.

But these positions do not always add up to a coherent approach that takes account of the trade-offs and longer-term consequences."

Wong pointed out two specific examples of the WP's inconsistent stances. Firstly, regarding the building of Housing Development Board (HDB) flats, the WP had previously proposed that the government build fewer flats when resale prices fell in 2019. However, when the Covid-19 pandemic struck and caused a shortage of flats, the WP criticized the government for not building enough flats by 2023.

Wong noted that the WP did not acknowledge its previous advocacy on this issue. Secondly, on foreign worker policies, the WP called for greater flexibility when the government tightened policies. However, amid concerns over Singapore's projected population of 6.9 million, the WP later proposed zero growth in the foreign workforce.

More recently, when Singaporean small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) faced manpower shortages, the WP called for easing foreign worker quotas.

Wong emphasized that opposition politicians can more easily argue for a position without having to reconcile competing demands or take responsibility for outcomes. In contrast, the PAP must make "difficult choices that will stand the test of time" instead of seeking "quick fixes." He highlighted how unrest is sweeping parts of the world due to economic pressures and anxiety about the future, and the temptation to offer quick fixes despite the lack of easy answers.

Wong urged PAP cadres to take Singaporeans' concerns seriously while guarding against populism, urging the PAP to consider the interests of all Singaporeans, especially those whose concerns are less visible. He acknowledged that one such difficult issue is updating ministerial salaries, a matter that the PAP is willing to address openly in Parliament and take responsibility for.

Wong concluded by stating that the PAP must have the courage to act, not just for Singaporeans today, but also for future generations who will inherit the Singapore they build.