World demands solution (Aftenposten)

The Norwegian Ambassador to Australia, Ove Thorsheim, was greeted by the world’s media when he arrived on Christmas Island yesterday. He is due to meet the Tampa’s captain, Arne Rinnan, today, and will report back to the Norwegian authorities. The controversy over the Tampa’s future has reached new heights in Australia. "The Government's reaction to the appearance of 438 asylum-seekers on our doorstep has degenerated from an offensive, inhumane embarrassment into a full-blown domestic and foreign policy crisis," according to The Australian. "In just a few days the Australian prime minister has managed to wipe out all the goodwill felt by the international community towards the country after the Sydney Olympic Games," writes author Ragnar Kvam jr.

Australian navy has orders to take over Tampa (Dagbladet)

The Australian navy frigate, the Arunta, will arrive at Christmas Island early today Norwegian time. The Australian media reported last night that the Arunta’s captain has orders to take command of the Norwegian cargo vessel, Tampa, and force it out of Australian territorial waters,. The Arunta has a crew of 164, including naval officers able to command a ship of Tampa’s size. The pressure to reach a diplomatic solution to the crisis has therefore increased dramatically.

Bondevik: Stoltenberg must cede office if Labour loses election (Dagsavisen)

Both Kjell Magne Bondevik and Jan Petersen have said that Jens Stoltenberg should give up the reins of power if the Labour Party is not the largest party in the Storting after the election. The Prime Minister has now admitted that there is a limit to how poor an election result the party can achieve without resigning from office, but remains categorical: "We will be the biggest."

Union leader calls for Labour to start coalition talks (Aftenposten)

If the Labour Party were to issue invitations to the Socialist Left Party and the Centre Party with a view to forming a coalition government after the election, it would generate renewed enthusiasm for the campaign, according to Per Østvold, leader of the Norwegian Union of Transport Workers. "I think there is quite widespread support for this solution among members of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO)," he said.

Ballot paper errors could force election re-run (NTB)

Kjell Magne Bondevik has said it may be necessary to re-run the election following Thursday’s revelations that part of the material used by those casting their votes before polling day contains serious errors. "If this problem is serious enough to affect the outcome of the election, we will have to see if it is possible to cancel the votes already cast at the post offices concerned and give those voters the opportunity to cast their vote once more – either beforehand or on polling day," said Mr Bondevik.

NHO drops demand for cut in sickness benefits (Dagens Næringsliv)

The Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (NHO) has accepted Labour’s plan aimed at reducing absenteeism through illness by 20 per cent without cutting the sickness benefit scheme. One of the measures included in the Government’s plan to reduce absenteeism is for more patients on sick leave to receive private surgery rather than staying on lengthy health service waiting lists. The cost of sick leave has almost doubled since 1994. Last year the national insurance scheme paid out NOK 21.8 billion in sickness benefits, almost NOK 3 billion more than the year before, and NOK 10.4 billion more than in 1994.

More oil exploration off Lofoten (Aftenposten)

Petroleum and Energy Minister Olav Akselsen is set to approve increased oil exploration off the Lofoten islands when next year’s permits are awarded. The area off the Lofoten islands is considered extremely interesting by a number of oil companies. However, the fishing industry is unanimous in its demand for a complete halt to all oil and gas exploration and production activity off the coast of northern Norway until an overall impact assessment has been carried out.

Worth Noting

• Up to 60 representatives from the world’s media, including 10-15 television crews, have been jammed into the Sydney offices of the Wilhelmsen shipping line this week. "This is a sad affair, because Norway and Australia have always had such fantastic relations," said Peter Dexter, who heads the office as well as being the Norwegian consul. (NTB)
• No senior figures at the Norwegian Foreign Ministry would yesterday make an official statement on whether the humanitarian crisis taking place aboard the Tampa is about to be resolved and brought to an end. (Aftenposten)
• Former Labour Party chairman Reiulf Steen has said that Jens Stoltenberg should leave office if the party does as badly in the election as current polls predict, and Labour gets around 25 per cent of the vote. (Dagsavisen)
• "There is a fifty per cent chance that I will become prime minister again," said Kjell Magne Bondevik, leader of the Christian Democrats. (Aftenposten)
• The Conservatives want to cut foreign aid, but the majority of the party’s supporters feel it should be maintained at current levels or be increased. The Labour Party wants to increase foreign aid, but only 20 per cent of the party’s voters feel that Norway should spend more money on this area. (Dagens Næringsliv)
• The Socialist Left Party has the largest support among upper secondary students, closely followed by the Conservatives. The Labour Party on the other hand is the major loser, according to the preliminary results of yesterday’s school election. (Aftenposten)
• Labour Party rebel Grethe Fossum looks set to win four more years in the Storting, according to the latest poll from Hedmark county. This means that the Labour Party’s radical voters retain one of their most outspoken advocates. (Nationen)

Today’s comment from Dagbladet

The Government has called a temporary halt to oil exploration activities in the Røstbanken field. Such a move was indispensable. If Norsk Hydro had proceeded, as the company had been given permission to do by the then Petroleum and Energy Minister, Jens Stoltenberg, it would have provoked fierce protests and created an untenable situation for the Labour Party in the closing stages of the election campaign. The question is what will happen when the election is over. The only correct thing to do is to carry out a new and thorough evaluation of all oil-related activity off the coast of northern Norway, with the greatest consideration being given to the interests of the fishing industry. The argument that this is just a matter of exploratory drilling is unsustainable. Oil exploration also pollutes the seas, with unforeseeable consequences. And if economically viable deposits are found, the oil companies and other interested parties will pile on the pressure to initiate full-scale production. We have seen it before often enough, and it would be naïve to believe that the North of Norway would be any exception.