Japan’s new prime minister is a LDP (Liberal Democratic Party) party member. He used the slogan "Change the LDP, Change Japan" to win support. He is known in Japan as a reformer, though it is difficult to say of what. He was the former health minister of Japan. His views include bringing Japan's public debt under control, fighting corruption and back-room dealing. He has promised to boost Japan's economy by slashing corporate and income taxes. He also vowed to privatize the postal ministry within 10 years. In March 1997 he got into a public debate with Finance Minister Hiroshi Mitsuzuka over the interest rate that the trust fund should pay on public pension monies. The returns from the fund in February ‘97 had been low and Koizumi insisted that the returns not be cut. There are rumours that he was elected mostly due to the support of the LDP policy chief Shizuka Kamei. If the rumours are true many fear that Koizumi may not be much of a reformer at all.