Bekkemellem Orheim shocked by Christian Democrats (Dagbladet)

Christian Democrat leader Valgerd Svarstad Haugland claimed only yesterday that the consequences of a price cap on pre-school day care fees had not been studied at all – and that it would therefore be ill-advised to implement such a scheme. In fact the scheme was examined last year by the Stoltenberg government. "I am shocked by statements made by Prime Minister Bondevik and other Christian Democrats regarding this issue. I accept that the Christian Democrats do not want a price cap on nursery fees, but to use as their main argument a claim that the scheme has not been evaluated is simplistic and downright untrue," said Karita Bekkemellem Orheim, former Children and Family Affairs Minister for the Labour Party.

Opposition threatens to oust Government over nursery fees (Verdens Gang)

A parliamentary majority is now threatening to bring down the Government if it goes ahead with plans to delay the implementation of the pre-school day care reform. "This is a minority government which has two choices – either to do what the Storting has instructed it to do, or resign," said the Progress Party’s Siv Jensen. The opposition parties are up in arms because the Christian Democrats have said they want to reopen the debate on the introduction of a price cap on nursery fees. When Valgerd Svarstad Haugland, Cultural Affairs Minister and chairman of the Christian Democratic Party, met the press after the party’s central committee meeting yesterday, she refused to promise full funding for the parliamentary majority’s plan this autumn. "Ms Svarstad Haugland’s comments are as close to a letter of resignation as I have seen in a long time, and show an incredible arrogance with regard to the Storting," said Trond Giske, Labour spokesman on pre-school day care.

Immigration chief stands his ground (Aftenposten)

Trygve G. Nordby, head of the Immigration Directorate (UDI) is not thinking of stepping down despite the public outcry generated by the UDI’s decision to grant two former hijackers permanent residence in Norway. However, he has admitted he made a mistake in not informing the Local Government and Regional Affairs Minister of the decision. The UDI has known all along that the hijackers had legal residence in Russia and Azerbaijan, but have never entered into any dialogue with these countries. Local Government Minister Erna Solberg has expressed her dissatisfaction with the fact that she was not notified that the hijackers had been granted permanent residence in Norway, and she has informed Mr Nordby of her views. At the same time Ms Solberg has underlined that the UDI has not violated any laws or regulations, or exceeded its authority when it granted the two Iranian hijackers permanent residence in this country.

Minister demands review of UDI decision (Dagbladet)

Lawyers for the Local Government and Regional Affairs Ministry are working flat out to see if the Immigration Directorate (UDI) made any procedural errors when it granted two Iranian hijackers permanent residence in Norway, or if the legislation provides any other openings which would enable the case to be reopened. "It is unacceptable that Norway could be perceived as a sanctuary for international criminals and hijackers," said Local Government Minister Erna Solberg. She has made it crystal clear that the UDI should have informed her at the outset of the hijackers’ application for permanent residence. The Ministry’s message is unequivocal - the UDI has made a bad error of judgement.

Government to make it worthwhile to work (Aftenposten)

The Government will propose tomorrow that from next July incapacity benefit will be awarded for a limited period at a time. The aim is to encourage more people on incapacity benefit to return to the workplace. All those which the state believes can manage some kind of work will be paid a sum that is less than today’s benefit levels. The 287,000 people currently receiving incapacity benefit cost the taxpayer NOK 33 billion per year. The proposed reform would give annual savings of NOK 3 billion. The new scheme will be piloted initially in six counties.

Sick pay scheme still off limits (NTB)

"The sick pay scheme stays as it is," said Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik (Chr.Dem) when he met employer and employee representatives on Wednesday evening. Recent figures showing an alarming rise in the numbers of people taking sick leave are worrying the PM as well as Gerd-Liv Valla, president of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) and Finn Bergesen Jr, chief executive of the Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (NHO). But when they met the press after a meeting at Mr Bondevik’s office on Wednesday evening there was little doubt about the agreement’s continuation. Ms Valla described Liberal leader Lars Sponheim’s recent comments in which he said that he regretted the entire agreement on an inclusive working environment as ‘incredibly stupid, frivolous, uninformed and provocative".

No change in petroleum tax levels (Dagens Næringsliv)

MPs are positive to a coordination of effort between Norwegian and British oil and gas industries in the North Sea. But their message is clear – any reduction in the level of petroleum tax is out of the question. "We must not turn this into a debate about taxes," said former Petroleum and Energy Minister, Marit Arnstad (Centre Party). DN reported yesterday that Norwegian and British authorities and oil companies were examining the possibility of coordinating their activities across the dividing line between the two countries’ interests in the North Sea. Such a coordination could result in huge cost savings and an increase in production on both sides of the border. The main stumbling block is that the Norwegian petroleum tax stands at 78 per cent, while in Britain it is 40 per cent.

Norway’s Foreign Ministry infuriated by Russian belligerence (Aftenposten)

Five months before Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is due to visit Norway, the Norwegian Foreign Ministry has criticized Russian officials for unfounded mistrust and scepticism. "Russia’s attitude towards Norway is more belligerent than it is towards Belgium, Denmark or Germany, for example. Particularly at more junior levels in our practical bilateral contacts we can still see traces of the old belligerence," said Kim Traavik, State Secretary at the Foreign Ministry, during a speech in Berlin this week. He pointed in particular to the two countries’ efforts to manage marine life resources in the Barents Sea. Foreign Minister Jan Petersen said, "Russia is a demanding partner, but we will meet any criticism with firmness and consistency".

1 Worth Noting

1. The EU may be willing to drop its legal action against Norwegian oil companies, which the EU’s competition authorities have accused of forming a monopoly for the sale of Norwegian gas. NRK has learned that the oil companies may avoid the imposition of fines in the billion kroner class if the EU is given access to more Norwegian gas. Statoil’s Kristin Bremer Nebben confirms that negotiations to that effect are currently underway. (nrk.no)
2. Bellona has decided to abandon its battle to prevent development of the Snow White gas field off the coast of northern Norway. Instead the environmental foundation is banking on the fact that its protest to the EFTA Court will nevertheless force Statoil to pay back the tax relief – amounting to NOK 1-2 billion – which it has been promised, writes the north Norwegian newspaper, Nordlys. However, it remains an open question whether Bellona will succeed in getting its case brought before the EFTA Court in Luxembourg. (NTB)
3. It is possible to save NOK 4.1 billion a year if today’s 434 local authorities are merged into 90 large-scale administrative units, according to figures published by Statistics Norway. The savings outlined by the statisticians are mainly due to the fact that larger local authorities will benefit from economies of scale in the production of services. In the 1960s the number of local authorities was reduced from 744 to 454. Since then there has been only a minor reduction in the number of local authorities so that today we have 434 local authorities in Norway. (Vårt Land)
4. In the wake of the Orderud triple murder trial defence lawyers may face a ban on commenting publicly about the cases in which they are involved while legal proceedings are still in train. The Director General of Public Prosecutions feels too many details are being leaked to the press in connection with criminal trials. (Aftenposten)
5. The controversial decision by the Ministry of Agriculture to exempt a property in Lillesand from the area’s permanent residence requirement is to stand. This marks the end of a long drawn-out and complicated case in which accusations of cronyism were levelled at the Agriculture Minister. (NTB)

2 Today’s leader from Klassekampen

The board of Attac has come out against the event which Reclaim the Streets is planning to hold in Oslo’s Vaterlandsparken during the World Bank conference next week. Attac argues that those behind the event are opening the way for unnecessary confrontation because they have not applied for police permission. Attac has therefore advised its members not to attend. We understand that Attac’s board members do not want their organization be linked to violence, and we support the work carried out by both Attac and the Oslo2002 network to prevent violent clashes during the World Bank conference. Any attempt to generate active, violent confrontations between demonstrators and the police should be rejected, regardless of where and in what form they are initiated. But predicting trouble, as Attac has done, could make things worse. Around the world there have been many events under the Reclaim the Streets banner, without them ending in violent confrontation. It was not until the EU summit in Gothenburg that things went wrong. By rejecting Reclaim the Streets as potential trouble-makers and encouraging all non-violent activists to stay away, the risk of trouble could actually increase. If that happens Attac will have managed to keep its name clean, but will not have done anything to prevent confrontation through an active use of non-violence. We are also concerned that Attac, by criticising Reclaim the Streets for not having applied for permission to stage their event, is helping to curb freedom of speech in Norway. Freedom of public expression must be defended, even though permission to do so has not been sought beforehand.