Mr. President,

After the elections the parties that together constitute a majority in the Storting confirmed that they wished for a change of government. A coalition government based on the Conservative, Christian Democrat and Liberal parties has therefore taken on this responsibility.

The government takes up its duties with deep respect for the task ahead of it and for the people it has been appointed to serve. The government will work for the benefit of the whole country.

The values of the coalition government are based on the principles of democracy and the rule of law and on our Christian and humanist cultural heritage. The government will pursue a policy based on:

• respect for human life and human dignity,
• personal responsibility,
• freedom for the individual,
• protection of the family,
• responsible stewardship,
• compassion and care for the disadvantaged.

These values are indispensable for a good society. But many people currently feel that these values are under threat. The terrorist attacks on the USA concern us all. They were attacks on fundamental values of a democratic society – openness, freedom and security.

The terrorists’ goal is to create confusion and division, fear and insecurity. They must not be allowed to succeed. Instead of confusion, we shall show decisiveness and endurance. Instead of division, we shall show determination and solidarity. Instead of xenophobia and insecurity, we shall build new trust and understanding.

The coalition government wishes to be a government for all the inhabitants of Norway, regardless of religion or belief, skin colour, sexual orientation and ethnic background.

The Sami are an indigenous people. The government considers it important that their way of life, culture and values are safeguarded and able to develop further.

The policy of the coalition government is based on the Sem Declaration of 8 October.

The government invites all the parties in the Storting to engage in constructive cooperation. The parliamentary situation underlines the need for such cooperation.

The government intends to seek solutions for the main lines of Norwegian policy that will gain broad support. This applies not least to foreign and security policy. But stability, a long-term perspective and predictable steering parameters are also important within Norway.

Norway has great potential. If we are to seize it, we need to be willing to think afresh in political terms. Thus in certain important areas the government intends to chart a new political course. Solutions will be found that respect both the fundamental value of solidarity and the principle of freedom.

The government intends to enhance solidarity and social responsibility.

• We intend to strengthen international solidarity with those who are poor, persecuted and in want.
• We intend to restructure our defence forces and raise our level of preparedness to deal with new threats to our society.
• We intend to further develop social welfare schemes and combat poverty in Norway.
• We intend to modernize the public sector so as to benefit the users and the business community.
• We intend to expand care for the elderly, improve the health service and give priority to preventive measures.
• We intend to find more sustainable solutions to environmental and climate problems.

The government intends to promote freedom and personal responsibility.

• We intend to create “a simpler Norway”.
• We intend to reduce the level of taxation considerably during the present parliamentary period.
• We intend to increase freedom of choice for families with children by means of full day-care coverage and cash benefits.
• We intend to provide better conditions for NGOs.
• We intend to focus on knowledge, which is essential for wealth creation and welfare and for the ability of individuals to take responsibility for their own lives.

The government intends to base foreign policy on the UN and the North Atlantic community. We will pursue an active Europe policy. The government will proceed on the basis that Norway’s affiliation to the EU is based on the EEA Agreement and other cooperation agreements with the EU. Great importance will be attached to developing cooperation with neighbouring countries.

Norwegian defence and security are to be firmly based on NATO. The necessary funding will be provided for the restructuring of the defence forces. The government will make determined efforts to reduce the vulnerability of our society, including its vulnerability to terrorist attacks.

While the rich countries of the world have become richer, the gap between them and the poorest has widened. The government intends to place Norway at the forefront of the international cooperation on development, debt relief and human rights.

Development cooperation will be made more effective and gradually increased to 1 per cent of the gross national product by 2005. Developing countries will receive better market access.

The government will strengthen the institution of asylum and ensure that practices are in conformity with international human rights commitments.

In the past 10 years the gap between rich and poor has increased in Norway as well. The government intends to present an action plan with targeted measures to help people out of poverty. This will include financial measures, housing measures and measures to encourage people to work rather than being passive recipients of benefits. It is especially important to improve the living conditions of poor families with children.

The foundations for a child’s security and the development of its personality are laid in the family. The government intends to base its family policy on the principle that parents have the main responsibility for their children. Parents’ freedom to adapt their lives to their children’s needs must be ensured. The aim is clear: all children must be given good conditions in which to grow up.

The government will seek to ensure full day-care coverage. Both private and public day-care places will be cheaper. All public grants to day-care facilities will be consolidated in a single grant to the individual day-care facility. The government intends to continue with the cash benefit scheme and gradually increase the amount.

The government intends to re-organize loan schemes under the Norwegian State Housing Bank so that they are more closely tailored to those buying a home for the first time.

Consumers’ rights will be protected and the government will follow a restrictive line as regards advertising directed at children.

Women and men must have equal rights. The public sector must take the lead in ensuring that there is genuine gender equality.

The government’s goal is to ensure that Norway occupies a leading position internationally in terms of new technology, skills and knowledge. Norway is rich in natural resources. But the values and attitudes of its people, their knowledge and skills, are still the greatest resource this country has to draw on in the future.

The school system must provide a good general education, awareness of Norway’s cultural heritage, values and factual knowledge. It must help children to cope, to realize their potential and to develop socially. The government will improve the teaching, materials and school buildings in the public school system. Special emphasis will be placed on improving pupils’ reading, writing and arithmetic skills. Priority will continue to be given to information and communications technology. The state will provide a comprehensive loan scheme that will ensure good and suitable buildings. Teachers and management will be ensured competitive salaries and teacher training will be strengthened.

The government intends to improve the Private Education Act. The criteria for approval will be simplified and schools will be ensured a stronger financial basis for their operation.

The government will gradually increase Norwegian research efforts to at least the average OECD level by 2005. A significant part of the increase will go to basic research. Tax incentives will be offered to companies for research and development.

The government intends to ensure that health services are equally distributed regardless of where people live and their financial situation. The government will follow up the reform of the hospital sector. The right of patients to choose which hospital to use and performance-related financing of hospitals will be expanded to include private hospitals that have agreements with regional hospitals. The plans to increase capacity in the mental health sector and cancer care and to purchase more hospital equipment will be implemented. Preventive activities will be given priority. Specialized help for seriously ill patients and the dying will be improved.

All human life has the same value, and there must be no grading of human life. The government will base any decisions on whether to permit new gene technology or biotechnology on the precautionary principle.

The government will take steps to improve the lives of people with physical or mental disabilities, so that they can enjoy the same quality of life as people without disabilities.

The government will improve treatment capacity for substance abusers.

Public welfare schemes are dependent on the economy of the individual municipality. The government will give the municipalities a stronger economic framework in this period, increase municipal autonomy and facilitate measures to improve efficiency.

Security under the law and security for life, health and property are essential to freedom and a full and active life. One of the most important tasks for the government will be crime prevention and the fight against crime.

We must combat discrimination and racism actively. The integration of immigrants must be improved. Immigrants need a good command of Norwegian and active employment services if these efforts are to be successful.

The government intends to pursue a pro-active environmental and natural resource policy based on the objective of sustainable development.

The conservation of biological diversity, measures to deal with inherited pollution problems and efforts to deal with PCB pollution will be intensified.

Nature conservation, outdoor recreation and the cultural heritage are also priority areas.

The government intends to promote a dynamic cooperation with NGOs, municipalities and the business sector.

As regards climate, the government will propose new measures to achieve the objective set out in the Kyoto Protocol of achieving “demonstrable progress” towards its commitments by 2005. A substantial proportion of the reduction in emissions is to be achieved through national measures. The establishment of a domestic emissions trading system for greenhouse gases based on quotas will be speeded up.

The government intends to pursue a forward-looking energy policy, which will provide a framework for promoting the use of CO ₂-free gas-fired power plants and renewable energy sources such as bioenergy and wind power. At the same time, energy efficiency measures will be intensified.

As regards gas-fired power plants, the government will act on the basis of the Storting’s decision and provide a framework that makes it possible to develop CO ₂-free gas-fired power plants. Further research, a cooperation programme with the industry, an economic “start-up package” containing tax exemptions and an investigation of environmental status including continuous evaluation of discharge permits will be important. Until an emissions trading system has been established, new discharge permits and licences will only be granted for gas-fired power plants based on CO ₂-free technology.

The natural environment and seas of the north are very vulnerable. An overall management plan for the Barents Sea will therefore be drawn up.

The government will pursue an economic policy whose main aims are employment for everyone, increased wealth creation, further development of the welfare society, equitable distribution and sustainable development. A strong and competitive business sector is essential if we are to achieve these goals.

The government will stake out a new course for the state’s ownership policy. More private ownership is important as a means of vitalizing the Norwegian business sector and stimulating industrial growth in Norway. To avoid any conflict between the state’s ownership and supervisory roles, the government will consolidate responsibility for state ownership in a single ministry and gradually reduce the level of state ownership.

The government will make a change in policy in order to ensure a better supply of labour. It must become easier and more remunerative to remain in employment for a longer period before retirement.

The legislation governing occupational immigration will be made more flexible.

The government will seek to ensure that people on sick leave can receive treatment more quickly and return to work.

The government will take active steps to follow up the agreements that have been entered into with the social partners to reduce absence due to illness.

The government will chart a new course for taxation policy. Taxation levels will be reduced both for the business sector and for individual taxpayers.

There are two reasons for this.

The first has to do with wealth creation and employment. By providing a framework that makes Norway more competitive, we can prevent the loss of interesting investment projects, trade and business ideas from the country.

The second is that we wish to give people more freedom of choice and make it easier for them to live on their income.

The government will therefore reduce the level of taxation substantially during the parliamentary period.

A sound industrial policy is also a sound regional policy. Important regional industries such as the fisheries, aquaculture, agriculture and tourism contribute to wealth creation and help to maintain a scattered pattern of settlement and good living conditions throughout the country. Information and communications technology offers new opportunities for employment throughout the country.

We must ensure that good, safe and efficient transport solutions are in place for the whole of Norway. Road allocations will be increased. Taxation on air transport will be lowered. The safety of sea transport will be improved. It will be made easier to establish express coach routes.

Growth in the districts need not be at the expense of good conditions for the towns. The government will pursue an active and constructive urban policy. The government will boost public transport, particularly in the larger towns. The aim is to improve capacity, increase the frequency of departures and reduce prices.

Norway is one of the world’s leading fishery nations. The government will take steps to ensure that the extensive opportunities for the aquaculture and fisheries industries in coastal Norway are realized. These industries must be based on sustainable management of resources, and steps must be taken to combat pollution that can threaten marine resources.

The government will seek to ensure that Norway has a viable, decentralized agricultural sector that makes use of new technology and new market opportunities. One important task will be to ensure that consumers are provided with safe food, while at the same time reducing the price differences in relation to neighbouring countries.

In cooperation with the employees’ organizations, the government will actively promote the modernization of the public sector. It must become more user-oriented and service-minded. By making the sector more effective, we can free resources for its core tasks. More emphasis will be put on transparency in the public administration.

The government will resume and further develop the project “A simpler Norway”. The legislation will be simplified and regulations will apply for a limited period of time.

The use of competitive tendering in the public sector will be expanded.

Procurement from private companies will be put on an equal footing with production of services by the public sector.

The building regulations under the Planning and Building Act will be simplified, and the time required to process zoning matters will be shortened.

The legislation on opening times for shops will be repealed and the provisions relating to Sundays and holidays will be transferred to the appropriate legislation.

The government will initiate an evaluation of the sphere of responsibility of the restructured county administration.

The government will give high priority to maintaining the vitality and range of cultural activities. Theatre and art, the media, NGOs, sport, the church and other religious communities can all enrich our lives and offer us opportunities for involvement. A cultural policy must support independent cultural groups, artists and institutions. The government will establish a cultural heritage fund based on cooperation between private and state capital.

The Church of Norway, the free churches and other religious communities will be given good working conditions. The independence of the church in spiritual matters must be respected, and the government will continue reforms to transfer a greater share of responsibility to church bodies.

The government will renew and improve policy on voluntary work in order to release more of the creativity that exists in civil society. NGOs will receive compensation for the effects of the VAT reform. The framework for tax-deductible donations to NGOs will be expanded.

Politicians can provide an appropriate framework of legislation and steering parameters, but a good society can only be created by the people themselves, both individually and collectively. Generations before us have made Norway a good society to live in. Our task – our responsibility – is to make Norway an even better place.