The Royal Ministry Of Foreign Affairs, Oslo
Press Division

Norway Daily No. 75/01

Date: 20 April 2001

New commission to investigate miscarriages of justice (Aftenposten)

Justice Minister Hanne Harlem is to create an independent commission which will decide whether a case that has led to a conviction should be given a second hearing by the courts. The commission will have the authority to carry out an independent investigation of individual cases. With this move Norway becomes the second country in the world, after the UK, to take the drastic step of removing from the courts the decision on whether to give a second chance to those convicted of a crime.

Harder to get a driving licence (Dagsavisen)

If Transport Minister Terje Moe Gustavsen gets his way, it will get both more expensive and more difficult to obtain a driving licence. "The aim is not to prevent people getting a driving licence, but to do something to improve safety on the roads," says Mr Gustavsen. The Transport Minister is worried by the large number of young men who are killed on the roads, and is asking boys to leave the driving to the girls. "Young men drive too fast and do not use their seat belts. Young women, on the other hand, drive slower and take other safety precautions," he says.

Valgerd lines up her main election foes (Dagsavisen)

Valgerd Svarstad Haugland, chairman of the Christian Democratic Party, has named those she considers the party’s main election foes: Family Affairs Minister Karita Bekkemellom Orheim and Education Minister Trond Giske. The Christian Democrat leader finds the Labour Party’s family policies so provocative that she has little wish to join Labour in a coalition government. "Jens Stoltenberg has been making overtures to us about a coalition partnership, but sends his ministers out with quite the opposite message," says Svarstad Haugland.

Norway cuts funding to Russian atomic power station (Nordlys/NTB)

Over the next few years Norway will gradually reduce the assistance it gives to the atomic power station on the Kola peninsular in north west Russia. "We do not like the fact that the Russians are using the help they get from Norway, among others, as an argument for extending the life of the reactors. We are signalling our unhappiness with the situation by reducing our funding allocations," says Torbjørn Norendal, a special adviser at the Foreign Ministry. Since 1995 Norway has contributed around NOK 20 million per year for safety measures at the atomic power station. That figure will be cut to NOK 12 million for the next two years.

Armed Forces set to get NOK 8 billion more (Aftenposten)

The Norwegian Armed Forces may get a significant budget boost after the Conservatives and the centre alliance parties have come closer to an agreement. It seems more than likely that the financial framework for the Armed Forces will be increased, probably to NOK 36 billion. This is NOK 8 billion more than the Government’s original proposal. It is now clear that the Progress Party will support a compromise agreement, even though the party basically wants an even larger allocation for the Armed Forces.

No tears over higher electricity prices (Vårt Land)

The Norwegian Society for the Conservation of Nature is not complaining about higher electricity prices. Higher electricity bills may force households to change their patterns of consumption and stop wasting electricity. In the past year electricity prices have risen by 25 per cent. The Society would really like prices to be driven up through the imposition of government surtaxes rather than the power companies getting higher revenues.

Minister warns airlines to cut fares (Dagens Næringsliv)

Transport Minister Terje Moe Gustavsen has left airlines SAS and Braathens in no doubt. He expects to see the Government’s decision to exempt the airlines from VAT translated into cheaper air fares. If not, he will consider re-imposing VAT. "If the airlines do not appreciate the new VAT scheme, we do not see any reason to give this money away," he says.

Mega-bucks from Clinton visit (Klassekampen)

Ingebrigt Steen-Jensen’s PR company, Dinamo, has moved Bill Clinton’s speech to the Oslo Concert Hall which has seating for 1,400 people. With a ticket price of NOK 8,000 this could give total revenues of NOK 11 million. After deductions for complementary tickets, Bill Clinton’s fee and other expenses, the PR company will be left with a profit of at least NOK 5 million.

Worth Noting

• Christian Democrat chairman Valgerd Svarstad Haugland thinks that Jens Stoltenberg’s image is that of a less mature and less experienced prime minister than Kjell Magne Bondevik. She believes this is the main reason that Mr Bondevik enjoys far greater personal popularity than Mr Stoltenberg. (Verdens Gang)
• Transport Minister Terje Moe Gustavsen is thinking of reducing the number of airports and railway lines in rural areas, while increasing the number of permits to run express bus services. (Nationen)
• The commission which is supposed to keep a check on the activities of the much criticized National Police Security Service (POT), have not had a critical comment to make on any of the 131 cases the watchdog has investigated since 1966. (Dagbladet)

Today’s comment from Aftenposten

A long line of consultancy companies have expressed their interest in investigating the Immigration Directorate (UDI), which is one of Norway’s most controversial government agencies. According to State Secretary Einar Gelius at the Local Government and Regional Development Ministry, the level of controversy surrounding the UDI has been so great that the Government feels a that a full investigation is urgently needed. It is important here to point out that political responsibility for the UDI’s activities lies with Local Government and Regional Development Minister Sylvia Brustad. We must not allow the politicians, as they have had a tendency to do in the past, to push as much of the responsibility as possible over onto the front-line civil servants – even when their own politically ambiguous instructions lead to bizarre decisions which regularly provoke a frenzy of media reaction. A "full investigation" of the UDI must come soon. The Minister is responsible. She should now shoulder that responsibility.