Government gives more to the poor (Aftenposten)

The Bondevik Government has put together a poverty package in the national budget, which will be presented tomorrow. Housing assistance will go up, and single parents look set to be the biggest beneficiaries. Local authorities are also being given NOK 30 million for compulsory education for immigrants. Immigrants who do not take part in this programme will not be eligible for permanent residence in Norway. The various budget components are extremely tight. The Government has reduced the overall budget by around NOK 3 billion since the first budget conference took place.

Rail services to be put out to bid (Dagsavisen)

The Government will put local and regional rail services out to tender starting in 2003, according to the draft budget to be presented tomorrow. At least four major rail companies will be competing for these contracts. The state currently provides NOK 1.3 billion in subsidies for the lines that are not profitable. The draft budget has the Ministry of Transport and Communications initially putting the Gjøvik line, the Bratsberg line (between Porsgrunn and Notodden), and the Bergen – Voss line out to tender. The French rail company, Connex, will already be taking over operation of the Ofot line, between Narvik and Kiruna, next summer, and will take part in the bidding for the rail services between Norway’s major towns.

No moderation at the top (Dagbladet)

The Prime Minister and the rest of his Government and all MPs can probably look forward to pay raises of NOK 27,000 to 48,000. This comes at a time when the Government will be submitting one of the most austere budgets ever sent to the Storting, and, as usual, will be calling for moderation. The Storting’s salaries commission will submit its recommendation in the middle of October. The recommendation requires the Storting’s approval, and the new pay scale will be back-dated to 1 October.

Tax deductions for cheerful givers (Verdens Gang)

The Bondevik Government proposes to allow for NOK 100 million in the budget for tax deductions taken by taxpayers who make donations to religious or other national non-profit organizations. Starting next year, cheerful givers will be able to deduct up to NOK 6000 on their tax returns, according to sources close to the Government. This will give individual taxpayers taking full advantage of this deduction up to NOK 1680 in direct tax savings.

Christian Democrats question Clemet on education budget (Dagsavisen)

It will take more money to improve the schools, in the view of Education Minister Kristin Clemet’s fellow Christian Democrats in the Government. Ms. Clemet will be presenting a school budget tomorrow which is not likely to offer much in the way of results. This is in stark contrast to the coalition’s campaign promises to create the best school system in the world.

Arnstad refuses nomination (Nationen)

Marit Arnstad would meet no competition if she were willing to accept nomination for the job of Centre party leader. 27 per cent of the party’s voters would like to see her take leadership of the party, which must be discouraging for the incumbent, Odd Roger Enoksen, and deputy leader Åslaug Haga. Only 12 per cent feel Mr. Enoksen should lead the party after the upcoming national convention, while 15 per cent favour Ms. Haga. Ms. Arnstad absolutely refuses to accept the post, however. "I am not a candidate. Leading a party is impossible to combine with single parenting," she says.

Union leader blasts Valla (Dagens Næringsliv)

The new wage cooperation proposal put together by the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) and the Labour Party was presented without first being discussed in union fora. "Hatching a new wage cooperation deal behind closed doors with a party that stands at 18–19 per cent was not a smart move. That is no way to get people to work together," says Oddrun Remvik, head of the social workers’ union. Despite being leader of a member union and serving on the LO secretariat – the LO’s supreme body – Ms. Remvik knew nothing of this proposal until she read about it in Dagbladet on Monday.

Chain store magnate bridles at Stoltenberg’s insinuations (Verdens Gang)

"The unions have always demanded political paybacks for their substantial financial contributions to the Labour Party", says Rimi supermarket chain owner Stein Erik Hagen. Mr. Hagen reacts strongly to Labour leader Jens Stoltenberg’s suggestion that the Conservative Party’s Oslo branch is a hotbed of cronyism in which the rich contribute to the party in return for political benefits. Mr. Hagen is of the opinion that the unions, unlike the Conservatives, have given in to these demands, and calls on Labour to clean up its own act before pointing the finger at its political opponents.

Märtha’s title dilemma (Verdens Gang/NTB)

President of the Storting, Jørgen Kosmo (Labour) sees the difficulty of Princess Märtha Louise using her royal title in the name of her company. "Her choice of corporate name has put her in a vulnerable position. Although she may use whatever name she wants, and she cannot be anyone other than herself, it is still a problem," says Mr. Kosmo. Princess Märtha Louise would like to clear the air in connection with her role conflict. She has the permission of the Palace to use her title in the name of her company, but she may not use it to earn a profit.

Worth noting:

• The Norwegian State Railway (NSB) will fight for every single tender when a wide range of rail services are opened up for competitive bidding in 2006. "We will take part on an equal footing with everyone else," says NSB Director of Communications Audun Tjomsland. (Dagsavisen)
• The cost of the national sick leave scheme is threatening to stifle next year’s national budget. The 2003 budget to be presented tomorrow carries over NOK 4 billion more for sick leave than this year’s budget, bringing this item to NOK 29-30 billion. (Dagbladet)
• "There is no longer any reason for Home Guard reservists to keep their weapons at home. Norway’s defence leaders are stuck in the backwaters of the cold war mentality, in the view of retired lieutenant general Per Bøthun. (Aftenposten)
• Spurred by low ratings, Labour’s Oslo branch kicked off its 10-month election campaign last night with a rally in the best revival-meeting tradition. Rune Gerhardsen is Labour’s candidate for chairman of the municipal council, and former Minister of Cultural Affairs Ellen Horn is the candidate for mayor. (Dagsavisen)
• Risør is about to set a new national unemployment record. Over 200 jobs have disappeared from this south coast town in the space of a few years, and unemployment will soon hit ten per cent. Technology, industry and manufacturing have moved out. The phone company’s directory assistance service has just been shut down, and 72 women have lost their jobs. (Aftenposten)
• EU commissioner Frits Bolkestein is fighting for uniform tax rates on alcoholic beverages throughout the EU. It is just a matter of time before Norway and the other EEA countries are forced to follow suit and bring their prices down to continental levels. Just reducing prices to Danish levels, among the highest in the EU, will cost the state NOK 4–5 billion in lost revenues. (Aftenposten)
• The college of bishops of the Church of Norway has been convened since last Friday. Finn Wagle, Bishop of Nidaros, has succeeded Møre Bishop Odd Bondevik as Bishop Primas. (Vårt Land)

Today’s Comment, from Vårt Land

A number of political heavyweights have spoken out strongly against what they view as the commercialization of the royal title borne by Princess Märtha Louise. No one would ever suspect Jo Benkow, Kåre Willoch or Carl I. Hagen of harbouring republican views, so their criticism is certain to be taken seriously by the Palace. Märtha Louise’s roles as princess and businesswoman are apparently not as easy to keep separate as the Palace first supposed, and they must now come under close scrutiny. Any confusion on this point will not be good for the royal family nor for the Norwegian people.