Labour expects broken promises galore (Aftenposten)

The Government is refusing to say how it intends to pay for its expensive election promises. Jens Stoltenberg believes we can expect many of those promises to be broken. The Labour Party and the Socialist Left Party see Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik’s inaugural address as one long wish-list, albeit a well-meaning one. After the Government’s inaugural address was read to the Storting yesterday afternoon, Jens Stoltenberg, leader of Labour’s parliamentary group, said he still does not know what the Government’s real priorities are.

Centre Party looking for coalition with Labour (Dagsavisen)

The Centre Party has made a historic choice. "I feel it is right to work towards the formation of a majority government including the Labour Party and the Centre Party, said Centre Party chairman Odd Roger Enoksen. The Centre Party has taken part in every non-socialist coalition since the war – apart from the new Bondevik government. Mr Enoksen has made it clear that the Centre Party does not intend to join any permanent political partnerships in the Storting during this term. However, he will be working actively to build "long-term relations which will come to fruition from 2005 and beyond".

SAS to haggle over Braathens’ price (Aftenposten)

SAS will be allowed to acquire Braathens, but does not want to pay the agreed price of around NOK 1 billion. The company made this plain after yesterday’s decision by the Norwegian Competition Authority, which has been described as an ‘unconditional’ victory for SAS. Yesterday’s developments were greeted with jubilation by Braathens’ workforce. But passengers have no reason to celebrate. The number of cheap tickets will probably be cut.

Braathens told to ground ten planes (Dagens Næringsliv)

SAS has set out some harsh conditions for its takeover of Braathens, and has told the ailing domestic airline to downsize by a third and ground ten of its aircraft. These are the most important points in a secret agreement covering SAS’s takeover of Braathens. On Friday Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik will appoint Justice Minister Odd Einar Dørum to oversee the takeover in place of Government Administration Minister Victor D. Norman, who has disqualified himself from handling the matter. "Basically I think it is quite alright to be disqualified," chuckled the newly appointed minister, who is opposed to the takeover.

8,600 teachers not good enough for Bondevik (Aftenposten)

Half of all secondary school teachers do not meet the new government’s educational requirements. According to the Bondevik government, the minimum requirement is one year of study in each of the subjects a teacher will teach at secondary school level. On that basis 8,600 of today’s teachers come up short. The Norwegian Teachers’ Union agrees with the Government that the level of teacher training is not adequate, but believes that reaching the Government’s target will lead to both financial and practical problems.

Minister promises no influence from Progress Party on agricultural policy (Nationen)

Agriculture Minister Lars Sponheim is promising to keep the Progress Party well away from the Government’s agricultural policies. What frightens Mr Sponheim most are the party’s extreme faith in market forces and opposition to agricultural subsidies. He will therefore be looking for support for the Government’s agricultural policies from the political left.

Oslo Stock Exchange to investigate Siem’s sale of Kværner shares (Aftenposten)

The Oslo Stock Exchange is investigating Siem Industries’ sale of Kværner shares to Yukos Oil. Kristian Siem has now sold 99.7 per cent of his stake in Kværner. Siem is majority shareholder, chairman and CEO of the company which sold large amounts of Kværner shares to Yukos Oil on Monday. Mr Siem himself claims he knew nothing about the sale. Yukos Oil has now become Kværner’s largest shareholder, with a 22 per cent stake in the company. Early this morning a group of delighted Russians are due to meet with Trade and Industry Minister Ansgar Gabrielsen.

ESA demands lifting of ownership limitations (Dagens Næringsliv)

The EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) is once again planning to demand that Norway lift its ban on individual investors owning more than 10 per cent of the shares in financial institutions. If Norway does not comply, the case will be brought before the EFTA Court. The Ministry of Finance can expect to receive a communication to that effect from the ESA next week. Finance Minister Per-Kristian Foss has agreed to take a new look at the ownership limitation rules which apply to financial institutions. Before taking office, Mr Foss was a strong supporter of today’s restrictions.

Olympic boycott not ruled out (Aftenposten)

Norway boycotted the Moscow Olympics in 1980 because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. According to Ole Jacob Bangstad, who was president of the Norwegian Confederation of Sports in 1980, the USA is not in a much better position than the Soviet Union was at that time. Mr Bangstad supports Norwegian IOC member Gerhard Heiberg, who in yesterday’s Aftenposten cast doubts on the upcoming Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. "The Olympic Games in 1980 created a precedent in relation to whether the Salt Lake City Games should go ahead or not," said John Kristen Skogan, a researcher at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI).

Worth Noting

• The voters are still flocking to the autumn’s election winners. The Socialist Left Party has made the greatest gains, the Conservatives are the country’s largest party, while Labour must be grateful for second place, according to a poll carried out by AC Nielsen on behalf of the Newspapers’ News Agency (ANB). The Socialist Left Party now has the backing of a record 15.2 per cent of the electorate, the Conservatives move ahead 2.2 percentage points to 23.4 per cent, while Labour drops 2.9 percentage points to 21.4 per cent. (Dagsavisen)
• The Government is planning to extend the scheme allowing patients to choose which hospital they receive treatment at to include private hospitals, according to Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik’s inaugural address to the Storting yesterday. (Klassekampen)
• NSB chief executive Einar Enger wants a new fare system on the state-owned railways which would give cheaper fares for rush-hour passengers and higher fares for occasional travellers. Today it is the politicians who largely determine ticket prices, a practice Mr Enger believes must be abandoned. (Aftenposten)
• The Russian oil company, Yukos Oil, which now has a 22 per cent stake in Kværner, has received indications from Kværner’s nomination committee that the company will be represented on the new board of directors to be elected 2 November. (Dagens Næringsliv)
• The local authority pension fund, KLP, has lost NOK 9 billion as a result of the economic crisis so far this year. Local authorities fear they will have to foot the bill. (Dagens Næringsliv)
• We are all going to be counted – for the very last time. Today the Central Bureau of Statistics will send out questionnaires to every single household in the country. The first national census took place in 1769. At that time Norway had 723,618 inhabitants. (Dagsavisen)
• Norwegians have gone crazy sending SMS messages to each other. We send over 200,000 SMS messages every hour, more than twice as many as last year. The mobile phone companies put 40 per cent of the revenues straight in their pockets. (Dagbladet)

Today’s comment from Nationen

Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik has made his government’s inaugural speech to the Storting. As expected it contained no surprises – such declarations are constrained by their form to be a cross between a sermon and an à-la-carte menu. It is in its day-to-day decision-making that the Government will show its mettle. The most concrete thing the Government has done so far has been to win acceptance for its own name – the Cooperation Government. The name is in itself a victory for a coalition which more than anything wanted to avoid being labelled as Conservative-led. The phrase ‘Cooperation Government’ is completely inoffensive, as was its inaugural address.