Tax cuts at risk (Dagsavisen)

The tax cuts announced in the Government’s proposed national budget for next year could be reduced as part of a deal between the ruling coalition and the Labour Party. The question is whether the Government is prepared to go far enough. High-level sources in the Labour Party doubt whether Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik has understood how seriously Labour takes its demands, which total over NOK 7.5 billion.

Willingness to do a deal despite tough negotiating position (Aftenposten)

"Our hearts say no, but our heads tell us that this is a sensible thing to do." This and similar exclamations were to be heard yesterday from Labour Party representatives following the start of negotiations with the ruling coalition parties. "There will have to be a lot of changes before we can reach a deal," said Hill-Marta Solberg, Labour’s chief negotiator, yesterday, before entering the conference room where the Storting’s Finance Committee usually sits. The Conservative Party’s parliamentary leader, Oddvard Nilsen, said that he was prepared to make adjustments, but that his party would be unable to accept any rise in taxes compared to today’s level.

Local authorities could get more (Nationen)

The state of local authority finances will be a key issue in the negotiations between the Labour Party and the Government. Jens Stoltenberg underlined yesterday that this is one of the party’s main concerns. "We want to boost spending on schools and care for the elderly, and strengthen local government finances," he said. According to Christian Democratic Party chairman Valgerd Svarstad Haugland, if you enter into negotiations with a party, you must also make concessions to that party. "This is clearly something the Labour Party is expecting," she said yesterday.

EU supporters accused of over-enthusiasm (Dagens Næringsliv)

Labour’s Trond Giske has blamed overly enthusiastic supporters of Norwegian membership of the EU for the fact that any attempt to debate the situation in Europe ends in a row over Norwegian membership. Trond Giske, who is one of the Labour Party’s most highly profiled opponents of EU membership, just shakes his head in resignation over recent comments from Bjarne Håkon Hanssen, who previously shared Mr Giske’s views. "It is entirely legitimate to be a passionate supporter of EU membership, or an equally passionate opponent. But not knowing what to think is really not the best alternative," said Mr Giske.

Hagen sees support peak (TV2)

The Progress Party and the Socialist Left Party have suffered the greatest slump in support, while the ruling coalition parties have gained ground, according to the November poll carried out by Norsk Gallup on behalf of TV2 and VG. The Progress Party slides 1.5 percentage points to 28 per cent, while the Labour Party gains 1 percentage point to end on 22 per cent. Support for the Conservatives has increased by 0.5 points, bringing their score to 17 per cent. The Progress Party is no longer larger than all three ruling coalition parties together. The coalition took a hard line during the budget negotiations. This is the first poll from any of the market research companies which shows that the Progress Party’s rise in popularity has peaked.

Socialist Left Party facing deputy leadership row (Dagsavisen)

One of the Socialist Left Party’s two male deputy leaders, Øystein Djupedal or Inge Ryan, will have to resign from the party leadership. The Socialist Left Party is due to hold its annual conference on 8 March next year, the International Women’s Day. The party is now bringing up the rear when it comes to female representation in the party leadership. Only one of the four people who make up the party’s top team – the party leader herself, Kristin Halvorsen, is a woman. "I would prefer a working committee with a better balance between the sexes, though our boys are excellent chaps. A woman was originally proposed as part of the working committee, but its composition ended as it is today after a tug-of-war between political factions," said Ms Halvorsen by way of an excuse in August.

Even police officers reluctant to take taxis when alone (Aftenposten)

Police officers know so much about what can happen during a taxi ride in the city that they are careful about taking a taxi if they are one their own, admits Chief Inspector Anne Rynning Aasen of the Oslo Police District’s vice squad. "Some taxi drivers can be a danger to women – and men for that matter," she said. She recommends that anyone who is drunk should not get into a taxi by themselves.

Barents Sea could be closed to oil exploration (Aftenposten)

The Norwegian sector of the Barents Sea will be off limits to oil exploration for many years to come. This looks like being the outcome of the battle for oil-free fishing grounds. The assessment of the impact that year-round oil exploration and production activities will have on the seas stretching from Lofoten northwards will be completed in 2003. But a comprehensive environment protection plan for this area will not be in place until 2005. Up to now the oil companies had thought that the impact assessment would clarify whether they would be given access to these areas, which are important fishing grounds as well as being rich in petroleum resources, when the next round of licences are granted in 2004. This does not now seem likely.

Worth Noting

• With temperatures plummeting to a Moscow-like –15 ⁰>C, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and his entourage arrived at Gardermoen Airport aboard three aircraft at 11.30 pm yesterday.
  (Dagbladet)
• The elite of Russia’s oil and gas industry will meet Norwegian business leaders during President Putin’s visit to Norway. The Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (NHO) sees great opportunities for Norway in the burgeoning Russian economy.
  (Aftenposten)
• Ågot Valle (Socialist Left Party) wants to put a stop to her own gilt-edged pension scheme. The Storting will today vote on whether to increase MPs salaries and ex-politicians’ pensions.
  (Dagsavisen)
• The German Chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, lauded Kjell Inge Røkke to the skies yesterday, describing him as "one of the most interesting personalities on the international business scene".
  (Aftenposten)
• Norwegian industrialist, Kjell Inge Røkke, was visibly proud of the praise heaped on him yesterday by Germany’s Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. "This is a great day for Aker Kværner, which has been met with respect by a man who keeps a close eye on what we are doing," said Mr Røkke yesterday evening.
  (Verdens Gang)
• Germany’s Chancellor Gerhard Schröder will intervene personally to ensure that Norway’s trade relations with the EU are not weakened by the upcoming expansion of the union.
  (NTB)
• TV2 has registered a steadily increasing pressure from advertisers targeting children. In many cases the television company itself stops television commercials aimed at the youngest viewers.
  (Vårt Land)
• Electricity prices have not been as high as they are today since February last year. Rising electricity prices also have an impact on the general level of inflation.
  (Aftenposten)

Today’s comment from Dagsavisen

The Labour Party did an about face on teachers’ pay at the weekend, when its annual conference voted by the slimmest of majorities to devolve to local and county councils the entire responsibility as employers for their teaching staffs. The teachers’ unions are not happy about the move. They fear that it will be difficult to maintain nationwide pay scales and terms of employment. The Progress Party and the Conservatives are jubilant, which prompts the concern that the majority of delegates to Labour’s annual conference may have acted in a politically incorrect way and made the wrong decision. We do not think so. The question has been discussed several times before. In our opinion it is logical that teachers’ employers – the local councils – are also responsible for pay, not just everything else that has to do with them. Cut your coat according to your cloth, goes the old saying. And in this instance the cloth is to be found in the country’s many local authorities, not its central government offices. Local councils who want to provide better schooling should have the opportunity to use pay as a tool to recruit good teachers. Having standardized, nationwide pay scales can have many advantages. The disadvantage is that it does not encourage teachers to move to other local areas or other schools. For teachers, too, find it easier to move if they feel it is financially worth their while.