Serious for Labour Party (Aftenposten)

The Labour Party’s national executive committee meets today to discuss the record slump in party support seen in recent opinion polls. "When we get such bad opinion poll results we have to look at what has gone wrong. It is very important that we take this situation seriously. We are not going to change the Labour Party’s image or policies, but we have to see how we can explain our policies and put them in context with what we are doing overall," said Labour Party chairman Thorbjørn Jagland. "In six months we have done more than the Bondevik government achieved in two and a half years. But perhaps we are paying the price for showing drive," said Children and Family Affairs Minister Karita Bekkemellem Orheim.

Regrets nothing (Dagbladet)

He is smiling, calm and imperturbably optimistic – but not satisfied. Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg is not letting recent disastrous opinion poll results or the mass defection of voters affect him. "My message to the Labour Party’s national executive committee meeting today will be to "stand firm". I feel the tide has already turned, that optimism and enthusiasm are on their way back. After the debates with the Conservatives in the past few days many people have begun to see the connection. The Conservatives’ promises don’t hang together. They are antisocial and irresponsible, and give tax breaks to those with high incomes, while those on an ordinary salary get nothing," said Mr Stoltenberg.

Labour Party accused of arrogance (Dagsavisen/Sunday)

When party chairman Kristin Halvorsen opened the Socialist Left Party’s annual conference yesterday she used the occasion to launch a swingeing attack on the Labour Party. Ms Halvorsen described the ruling party as "arrogant", "self-centred" and "without respect for others". "The Labour Party’s unwillingness to cooperate with other parties is the left wing’s biggest problem," said Ms Halvorsen. She believes the Labour Party is more concerned with maintaining its position and "shopping around" for support than with establishing a firm commitment to cooperate with the left.

Could cut taxes by NOK 80 billion (Dagens Næringsliv)

The new rules for spending Norway’s oil revenues mean that tax levels could be cut by NOK 9 billion per year until 2010, or more than NOK80 billion all told. But the Conservatives’ deputy leader, Per-Kristian Foss, is refusing to put a figure on how much the party would cut taxes if he and party chairman Jan Petersen were to form a government after the election.

LO boss refuses to haggle over taxes (Dagsavisen/Saturday)

According to Gerd-Liv Valla, president of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO), the Labour Party must sell itself on the basis that tax is a good thing. "I refuse to haggle over tax levels," she said. Cooperation between the union movement and the Labour Party will be continued into the future. Ms Valla is calling for the Labour Party to improve the way it explains why today’s tax policies are necessary. "We cannot just give up and accept the argument that people are tired of paying taxes," she added.

Minister offers amnesty (Dagsavisen)

Justice Minister Hanne Harlem is planning to step up the fight against unregistered firearms following a shooting in Oslo in the early hours of Sunday morning. Among the measures under consideration are an amnesty for those who hand in their weapons, stiffer sentences and a relaxation in the rules to make it easier for the police to stop and search suspects. Six people were shot, five of them seriously wounded, after a man opened fired into a crowd waiting outside a nightspot in central Oslo in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Aims to build a solid defence capability (Dagsavisen/Sunday)

The army is to consist of almost four brigades, the air force will get new F16 jet fighters and the navy will get new missile torpedo boats (MTBs). These are among the key recommendations hammered out by the Storting’s Defence Committee during negotiations stretching long past the original deadline. The Committee announced its final recommendations last night. It also became clear last night that Norway’s defence headquarters will be located at Jåttå in Stavanger. If the committee’s recommendations are adopted, the Norwegian Armed Forces will need additional funding far in excess of the NOK 500 million the Government originally proposed.

Say no to SAS/Braathens merger (Dagbladet/Sunday)

For professor Victor D. Norman, one of the Nordic region’s most respected economics experts, the proposed merger between the airlines, SAS and Braathens has nothing to recommend it. "If the Norwegian Competition Authority does not say no to this merger, we may as well tear up Norway’s anti-trust legislation and let the market’s predators do their worst," he said.

Worth Noting

• Prime ministerial candidate for the Christian Democratic Party, Kjell Magne Bondevik, is accusing the Conservative Party of being extremely vague on the issue of forming a government after the election. "In the past few weeks the Conservatives have announced three completely different points of view," said Mr Bondevik. (Verdens Gang)
• From Dovre to the north cape support for the Labour Party has been cut by half compared to the election results four years ago. (Aftenposten/Sunday)
• Jens Stoltenberg is whingeing too much, according to centrally placed Labour Party officials. "We are about to fall into the trap of Jens and the party complaining about the voters," they say. (Dagbladet/Sunday)
• According to election expert Frank Aarebrot, Jens Stoltenberg is currently unable to make any headway because he has not managed to free the party sufficiently from the language and politics of the post-war generation. (Dagbladet/Saturday)
• Active duty police officers will probably be issued with a new weapon – pepper spray. "Pepper spray is a good alternative to the baton and the use of firearms," said Ole Valen, police personnel safety representative.(Dagsavisen/Sunday)
• In the next few days Storebrand, a major Norwegian insurance company, will be notifying business customers with high sick leave rates that their insurance premiums are being doubled. Behind the price hike is the concern that these companies risk a high rate of invalidity among their employees. (Aftenposten/Saturday)
• House prices in Norway’s largest cities seem to be stabilizing. While a year ago the majority of homes were sold at well over the original valuation, house sales are now much slower. Out of 67 homes which were put up for sale a month ago, 20 have yet to be sold, while 28 were sold for less than the original valuation or price estimate. (Dagens Næringsliv)

Today’s comment from Aftenposten

In the early hours of Sunday morning it happened again. A seemingly trivial episode in Oslo’s nightlife led to a tragic shooting in which six people were wounded. The willingness to resort to violence which this incident reflects is shocking. Under no circumstances can we accept that this is how Oslo should be. That several of the victims this time were innocent restaurant-goers and passers-by in one of the capital’s busiest streets underlines how serious the incident is. Justice Minister Hanne Harlem is exasperated, and with good reason. She supports the police’s action to confiscate unregistered firearms and bring those who have such weapons to justice. Ms Harlem also believes that the level of sentencing for possession of an illegal weapon should remain high. In other words the signals society sends must be quite unmistakeable. It is not difficult to agree with the Minister. No one must be left with the impression that the use of firearms and violence will be tolerated or excused. On this issue there will be, and must be, zero tolerance.