SINGAPORE — Even as Singapore is shifting towards a new phase that emphasises a more inclusive concept of success and caring for all members of society, economic growth will continue to be a "non-negotiable", Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Monday (April 17). 

As the labour force and economy are both expected to grow more slowly in the years ahead, competitiveness will become more, not less, important, he added.

Mr Wong was speaking in Parliament during a debate on the President's Address, which was delivered by President Halimah Yacob at the reopening of Parliament last week.

If Singapore does not grow the economic pie, there will be fewer jobs and less scope for social support, he said.

Earlier in his speech, he outlined how Singapore needs a new social compact that will require mindset shifts about success and meritocracy, as well as stronger social support, to ensure that the country's broad middle and the vulnerable can meet their needs in life and not fall by the wayside or be left behind.

To do all this, Singapore must stay true to its core ethic of individual effort and personal and family responsibility, Mr Wong said.

“We want government actions to reinforce, not negate, individual and collective responsibility," he added.

"We want government actions to catalyse more involvement by other members of society — employers, unions, community groups, and non-governmental organisations. Then we can all chip in and do our part collectively, to tackle inequality, rekindle social mobility, and move forward together."

Mr Wong noted that there have been questions about whether the fourth generation (4G) of Singapore’s political leadership, which he leads, had shifted to the left of the political spectrum.

Generally, parties on the left of the political spectrum are associated with progressive and welfarist policies, while those on the right are associated with parties who believe in government playing a limited role and there is greater private sector competition.

Mr Wong said that it is not so easy to characterise the 4G leadership's governing approach along the traditional political spectrum of left and right.

“After all, we have always strived to appeal to a broad base of Singaporeans. We have always taken care not to base our legitimacy on any narrow social group or class,” he said. “We also do not blindly copy or replicate the models of other countries."

Mr Wong said that Singapore will not adopt a model of comprehensive universal welfare such as in some European and Nordic countries. He noted that these countries impose high taxes on citizens to fund welfare provisions.

Instead, Singapore will chart its own way forward and stay true to its core values.

“While we will indeed do more to strengthen social safety nets, we will move with prudence and discipline, and not end up inflicting heavy tax burdens on everyone.” 

He added that Singapore will also ensure that government programmes achieve better outcomes for Singaporeans, in terms of the value it achieves from every dollar spent.

CONCRETE ALTERNATIVES FROM OPPOSITION

Towards the end of his 40-minute speech, Mr Wong took aim at the Opposition, saying that while there is general support for the Government's policies among the Opposition, particularly the Workers’ Party (WP), there remains “one fundamental difference” between them. 

While the People's Action Party (PAP) government tells Singaporeans “plainly” how it proposes to raise revenues and maintain a balanced budget over the medium term even as it plans to spend more, the Opposition’s sums on its alternative revenue proposals “do not add up”, he said.

For example, if the increase in the Goods and Services Tax, which WP did not support, had not gone ahead, there would be a huge gap in funding government spending.

Mr Wong said that he looked forward to hearing “concrete alternatives from the Opposition and not just opportunistic or populist ideas", as well as "a serious alternative agenda for an alternative government" over the course of the remaining term of Parliament. 

"That’s how politics in a first-world parliament should work."

Mr Wong also said he does not assume that the ruling PAP will win the next General Election, or that he will inevitably take over from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong as the next prime minister. 

Every General Election from now on will be about who forms the Government, and not just about the percentage of votes that PAP receives or the number of seats the Opposition wins, he said.

“As we develop into a mature democracy, we must have not just a serious Government, but also a serious Opposition that thinks carefully about what it will do as government.”

While the Government welcomes good ideas to improving the country, the Opposition should be upfront about its policies and intentions and the trade-offs the country will face as a result of its proposals, he added.