Hagen accepts non-socialist government without Progress Party (Aftenposten)

Progress Party chairman Carl I. Hagen has said he would support a coalition government made up of the Christian Democrats and Conservatives, but excluding the Progress Party. "Policy is the important thing, not position. We will support a government which strengthens the areas we think are most important, such as tax cuts, improved healthcare and care of the elderly," said Mr Hagen. At the last election Mr Hagen was categorically opposed to a non-socialist government which did not include the Progress Party.

Chaos continues (Dagsavisen)

Anyone expecting that yesterday’s TV2 debate would provide an answer to the question of who will form the next government was in for a disappointment. The party leaders gave no such answer. "This was a disgraceful performance," said an exasperated Kristin Halvorsen, leader of the Socialist Left Party, when her male opponents started bickering about the relative merits of each others’ government alternatives. Kjell Magne Bondevik, prime ministerial candidate for the centre alliance parties, also admitted that the debate had been chaotic. But with five days left to polling day and one million voters still undecided, the parties cannot agree on any clear alternatives.

Bastesen’s election promises come with a whale of a bill (Dagbladet)

Steinar Bastesen’s election promises come with a NOK 197 billion price tag. Norway has never before had such an expensive man in such a decisive position. His most important policy is to save the seaweed beds along the Norwegian coast. He aims to eradicate the seal which feed on the wolf-fish, and he will fight to clear the seabed of sea urchins. "I cannot understand how anyone can added it up and make it come out so expensive. I haven’t mentioned any figures," said Mr Bastesen.

Could lose millions (Dagens Næringsliv)

The Labour Party could lose NOK 11-12 million in state aid if it wins as few votes as the opinion polls currently indicate. This amounts to 20 per cent of the party’s revenues. In addition Labour’s parliamentary group may lose NOK 4 million. "I would rather not think about it until after the election," said Labour’s head of administration, Karl Erik Høegh. The Socialist Left Party will gain as much as Labour will lose, and will more than double its revenues from state subsidies. However, it is the Conservative Party which stands to gain most from the election – NOK 13.4 million.

Environmental victory (Dagbladet)

Public attention focused on the oil exploration activities being carried out off the coast of Lofoten and the Finnmark coast, and which pose a threat to both the environment and the fishing industry, has become too much for the Labour Party in the election campaign’s closing stage. Exploratory drilling was halted yesterday by order of the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority (SFT) and the Ministry of the Environment. The oil company, Norsk Agip, will therefore not be able to carry out its planned exploratory drilling activities in the Barents Sea this year.

IT shares down by NOK 6.7 billion (Aftenposten)

The IT bubble on the Oslo Stock Exchange has burst, leaving the companies’ owners battered and bleeding. At least NOK 6.7 billion in equity has evaporated in the course of the past year, according to an analysis of some of the IT companies’ balance sheets. Wealthy investors are nevertheless ready to put their money into telecoms, software and wireless technology. "It is just a matter of picking the winners," said Bjørn Stray of Northzone Venture.

LO bosses make a mint from directors’ fees (Dagsavisen)

Sitting on the board of various companies provides a substantial extra income to the eight top leaders of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO). Together the union bosses collect almost NOK 1.1 million per year in directors’ fees. In addition several of them receive handsome allowances for each board meeting they attend. NOK 5,000 per meeting makes a difference, even to the well-filled wallets of Gerd-Liv Valla and Co.

Worth Noting

• Centre Party chairman Odd Roger Enoksen has rejected categorically any notion that the party would sit down with the Socialist Left Party and the Labour Party in a government coalition. "It is out of the question for the Centre Party to join a government with Labour and the Socialist Left Party for the whole of the coming parliamentary term," said Mr Enoksen. (Dagsavisen)
• Jan Petersen now feels completely certain that Kjell Magne Bondevik is ready to start negotiations with the Conservatives as soon as the election result is known in four days’ time. (Dagbladet)
• The centre alliance parties plan to spend billions of kroner to build emission-free gas-fired power stations. A boon for mankind, is how Liberal leader Lars Sponheim yesterday described the centre alliance’s new gas-fired power strategy. (Aftenposten)
• The Gender Equality Ombud is highly critical of NSB’s new corporate management team, which contains 7 per cent women. There is only one woman among the national railway company’s 14 senior executives. (Dagbladet)
• Den norske Bank (DnB) cannot afford to pay cash for Storebrand. The Government must therefore provide it with more money, according to an analysis of DnB carried out by stockbrokers Alfred Berg. (Dagens Næringsliv)
• There may be no more televised national or league matches and no cup final coverage following the breakdown of negotiations between the Norwegian Football Association (NFF) and NRK and TV2. The two television companies have jointly offered NOK 247 million for the next four years, while the NFF is demanding an additional NOK 155 million. (Aftenposten)

Today’s comment from Dagens Næringsliv

It is sad that the voters know so wretchedly little about what kind of policies the two most probable government alternatives will implement. The Labour Party is leaking at both ends. Will it respond by changing its political course to the right or to the left? Or will it do nothing and hope that the voters will return to the fold by themselves? We know little, but experience from the Socialist Left Party’s best ever election result in 1973 indicates a turn to the left. We know just as little about the policies of a non-socialist, two or three party coalition. But since the Centre Party will not be part of the line-up this time, it is reasonable to suppose they will be a deeper shade of blue and rather more economically responsible than those of the Willoch and Syse governments. The 2001 election could therefore be a choice between clearer political alternatives than for many years. The key players within the Labour Party and Christian Democratic Party have tactical reasons to say no more than they have. For the voters, who must vote without knowing what kind of government their vote will result in, and with even less idea what kind of policies the alternatives will pursue, the situation is gloomy.