Governing means confronting politically difficult issues, not just balancing interests: PM Wong

Mr Wong said that the government takes understandable concerns surrounding nuclear energy “seriously”.

“But we should not rule out an option simply because it is difficult or controversial,” he said. 

“We must assess the risks and trade-offs carefully, engage Singaporeans, and make the right decision to secure our energy future.”

As the governing party, Mr Wong said that the PAP must deal with competing needs and interests from different groups and consider them against the “wider picture”.

“We cannot simply tell everyone what they want to hear, or promise everyone what they hope to get,” he said.

Members of Parliament (MPs) raise in the House issues that matter to their constituents and causes that they feel strongly for.

The opposition Workers’ Party (WP), too, speaks up on policy issues, said Mr Wong.

“But when we look at the positions they have taken over time, they are not always consistent or coherent,” he said.

One issue which Mr Wong said the opposition party has shifted its position on over the years was on housing.

In 2019 when the prices of public resale flats were falling, WP had argued that the government should build fewer new flats. 

By 2023, after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted construction and led to a shortfall in new flats, the opposition was criticising the government for not building enough flats.

“Yet there was no acknowledgement of what it had advocated just a few years earlier,” said Mr Wong.

Another issue where WP had changed its position on was foreign manpower.

WP had called for greater flexibility across industries back in 2012, when the PAP government tightened foreign worker policies.

The opposition party then proposed zero growth in foreign workforce during the debate on population policy, amid concerns over the projected population of 6.9 million, but more recently called for easing of foreign worker quotas when small and medium enterprises (SMEs) faced manpower shortages.

“You can see how the WP’s position seems to shift with the political winds. But foreign manpower policy cannot simply shift back and forth with the pressures of the moment,” said Mr Wong, adding how any “relatively small adjustments” would bring about wider consequences.

These issues show how the opposition has taken different positions at different times based on “what they believe will be popular”, said Mr Wong.

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

“This is part of opposition politics. It is easier to argue for a particular position when you do not have to reconcile all the competing demands, or take responsibility for the outcome.”

Mr Wong said that governing is different, as it requires the party to make difficult choices that will stand the test of time and not just offer what sounds attractive today.

Parts of the world have seen the consequences of such populism, with traditional political parties losing ground and “political centre” weakening, and young people taking to the streets in different countries from France to parts of Asia.

While the immediate causes differ, the pressures of economic insecurity and affordability concerns are similar, said Mr Wong.

While the temptation to “offer quick fixes” to such difficult problems exists, they do not solve underlying problems, he cautioned.

“So frustrations persist. Trust in institutions weakens. Politics becomes more polarised,” said Mr Wong. 

“Then it becomes harder to find common ground, build consensus and make the difficult decisions needed for the common good.”