Petersen anger over Stoltenberg’s attitude (Dagbladet)

Conservative Party chairman Jan Petersen is unmoved by savage media criticism and declining support in the polls. He has promised to hit back harder against Labour leader Jens Stoltenberg in future debates over welfare. "I never get tired of debating with Jens Stoltenberg, though I have certainly heard his arguments a few times. But I do get tired of Mr Stoltenberg and the Labour Party’s ‘I know best’ attitude," said Mr Petersen. Neither political leader knows how often they will be squared off against each other before the election. But Mr Stoltenberg has said he is not tired of meeting Mr Petersen either.

Giske positive to coalition with Christian Democrats (Dagsavisen)

Education Minister Trond Giske would not mind sitting in a government alongside Christian Democrats Kjell Magne Bondevik and Valgerd Svarstad Haugland. He favours the development of a close working relationship with the Christian Democrats on schools. "From a purely personal point of view I have nothing against being part of a government including representatives from the Christian Democrat Party. But we would have to arrive at a common political platform that we can both live with," said Mr Giske.

Conservatives exposed (Nationen)

The Conservatives have suffered a blow in the polls. Socialist Left Party leader Kristin Halvorsen believes the Conservatives have been exposed. She is glad that issues other than tax have now been put on the campaign’s political agenda. "People have seen through the tax arguments being peddled by the Conservatives and the Progress Party. For far too long these parties have been diving into people’s wallets in their quest for votes," she said. Psychologist and motivation expert Frank Beck, on the other hand, believes rumours about the Conservative Party’s imminent death could prove to be exaggerated.

MPs exempt from cuts in sickness benefit (Verdens Gang)

The Storting can safely vote to cut the level of sickness benefits and make you lose a day’s pay if you take time off work due to illness – MPs themselves are exempt from the same benefit restrictions. Yesterday’s televised debates between the parties’ various front men focused largely on sick leave benefits. Conservative leader Jan Petersen wants the level of benefits cut to reduce absenteeism. Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg is fighting to retain the current system. But long before today’s sickness benefit scheme was introduced in 1978, many professional groups were spared any financial penalty if they became ill. As far back as 1954 MPs had voted to exempt themselves from losing any money. They are exempt from the Working Environment Act and receive both full pay and per diem while off sick.

Norway scores badly on healthcare (Dagsavisen)

Norway has a less efficient health service than countries like Morocco, Jamaica, Greece or Portugal, according to a recent report from the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO has ranked the Norwegian health service way down at 18th place in terms of efficiency. MPs are not particularly surprised, but feel that 18th position is too low. "We have to make better use of the money and equipment we already have. There is plenty of room to climb higher on the WHO ranking list," said the Socialist Left Party’s healthcare spokesman, Olav Gunnar Ballo.

Norway slammed for recruiting nurses from poor countries (NTB)

The authorities are trying to solve the shortage of nurses by recruiting staff from abroad, including the countries of eastern Europe. But these countries are themselves suffering from a shortage of qualified nurses and midwives. The Norwegian recruitment drive is therefore immoral, according to Bente Slaatten, leader of the Norwegian Nurses’ Association. "Recruiting people from poor countries depletes those countries’ competence and resources, and in our judgement is both unethical and immoral," said Ms Slaatten in an interview with NRK.

Kværner share price hits rock bottom (Aftenposten)

Kværner’s share price has been forced down to a historic low following trading by Orkla Enskilda, Kjell Inge Røkke’s pet stock broker, and a negative analysis by a former Røkke analyst. Kværner’s chairman claims there is nothing in the company’s accounts which could explain the share’s massive fall in price. Orkla Enskilda denies that Kjell Inge Røkke has had anything to do with the firm’s extensive trading in Kværner shares.

Aker Maritime abandons battle for Kværner (Dagens Næringsliv)

To all intents and purposes Aker Maritime (AMA) has abandoned its battle for Kværner. Three months after the dramatic annual general meeting at Kværner, the company has become a non-issue with AMA’s chief executive, Sverre Skogen. Following the publication of an analysis by Carnegie, Kværner’s share price dropped by 10 per cent to end the day at NOK 45.70. A number of financial analysts believe the company will be forced to carry out a share issue.

EDB Fellesdata faces enormous compensation claims (NTB)

EDB Fellesdata is facing compensation claims which will probably amount to hundreds of millions of kroner, after the company caused chaos in the banks’ computer systems earlier this month. According to NRK, Gjensidige Nor, EDB Fellesdata’s largest customer, will probably demand compensation for the losses the bank claims to have suffered as a result of the damage to its reputation caused by the computer problems. The computer crash, which occurred on the evening of 2 August, hit hundreds of thousands of customers at banks nationwide.

EEA rules could halt Snow White (Dagens Næringsliv)

The development of the Snow White gas field in the Barents Sea could be brought to a halt by the EEA Agreement. Finance Minister Karl Eirik Schjøtt-Pedersen admits that EEA rules on state subsidies could make it difficult to give additional tax breaks to the project. Mr Schjøtt-Pedersen met yesterday with Statoil’s chief executive, Olav Fjell, and company chairman Ole Lund in the hope of getting the Snow White ball rolling again. Statoil froze the project in July, saying it was not profitable.

Worth Noting

• The Conservatives’ Per-Kristian Foss has said the party would consider dropping its controversial proposal that those taking sick leave should lose a day’s pay before they qualify for sickness benefits. The Conservative move is prompted by the fact that absenteeism due to illness is rising less steeply than previously anticipated. (Dagsavisen)
• Professor of socio-economics Fritz C. Holthe has warned politicians not to misuse academic research for election campaign purposes. He claims politicians too easily ignore researchers’ reservations and uncritically quote selected research results which are taken out of context. (Nationen)
• The USA is now offering to sell Norway four new military transport planes at a knock-down price. This means that Norway will probably save NOK 1 billion compared to ordering the aircraft in the normal way. But we will have to decide whether we want the Hercules planes by the end of November. (Aftenposten)
• A number of financial analysts believe Kværner needs access to more cash if it is to succeed in splitting up the company. At worst, Kværner is worth no more than NOK 6 per share, according to Synne Syrrist of First Securities. (Dagens Næringsliv)
• According to today’s poll, the Socialist Left Party could win a total of 18 seats in the Storting. This is two more than the Socialist Electoral Alliance’s election record from 1973. (Klassekampen)
• Strong gusts, rain and lightning caused chaos in the south eastern region on Thursday. Gardermoen Airport had to close for 20 minutes while the storm was at its height. The wind gusted from a normal 15-20 kph to 120 kph in just a few seconds. (NTB)
• Predatory animals inhabiting the country’s south eastern forests cost local authorities and landowners millions of kroner. Landowners can no longer sell hunting licences because the huntsmen dare not let their dogs loose in the forest. They get eaten by wolves. So far the wolf pack roaming the area between Kongsvinger and Årjäng has killed 28 hunting dogs. (Nationen)

Today’s comment from Dagens Næringsliv

One of the election campaign’s least edifying spectacles has been the debate over Norwegian foreign aid in which various politicians have accused each other of heartlessness. It is difficult to wash away the bad taste this debate has left in one’s mouth. Few Norwegian political parties are prepared to defend an aid policy of decent proportions. Norway’s assistance to the world’s poor should be substantially increased. As an absolute minimum the annual budget allocations for foreign aid should be increased by NOK 2 billion, to allow Norway to meet its objective of giving one per cent of GDP to the world’s underprivileged. There is absolutely no reason not to. As Carl I. Hagen has said, Norway has ‘won the lottery’. We are a small, wealthy nation which has been given enormous riches – mainly as a result of geological happenstance. There is a limit to how much of this money we can use at any one time at home. There is no reason not to use more of our oil wealth to help the world’s poor.