Easier to establish private schools (Dagsavisen)

In the past eight months Minister of Education and Research Kristin Clemet has approved 18 applications to open private schools. In comparison, it took more than twice as long for her predecessor, Trond Giske (Labour), to approve the same number of applications. The biggest difference between the two ministers in this area is their stance on private Christian schools. As a result of the change in government, applications to establish private schools have been pouring in to the Ministry of Education and Research. In addition to the 18 schools that have already been given the go-ahead, 19 applications to open new private schools are waiting to be considered by Ms. Clemet.

Lawbreaking asylum-seekers to be placed in special reception centres (Aftenposten)

As early as this autumn the Directorate of Immigration will set up at least one reception centre designed to handle asylum-seekers who are criminals or violent, or who suffer from severe mental problems. In special cases it may be possible for asylum-seekers who have committed crimes to avoid custody by being placed in a reinforced reception centre with around-the-clock guards on duty. The employees in these reception centres will be professionals with special training.

Steepest fine ever imposed (Dagbladet)

MP Heidi Sørensen (Socialist Left) was fined NOK 10 000 after having spent six hours in a security cell in Hammerfest. In addition, Statoil is threatening to bring civil proceedings against her. The fine is the largest that the police have ever imposed on a demonstrator protesting the Snøhvit project. "We gave Ms. Sørensen a considerably higher fine because she has a much higher income than the other protesters," said Assistant Chief of Police Morten Daae of Hammerfest Police Headquarters. Ms. Sørensen has previously been arrested three times for civil disobedience, most recently in 1993.

Kosmo reacts negatively (Dagsavisen)

"This is improper conduct on the part of Ms. Sørensen. She has chosen to accept a position as Member of the Storting, so she should follow the rules," said Jørgen Kosmo, President of the Storting (Norwegian parliament). "She is free to raise this issue in the Storting, and it is not right to participate in unlawful demonstrations of this nature," he said. "Ms. Sørensen now represents the political system, and this issue was dealt with thoroughly by the Storting," said Leif Frode Onarheim (Conservative). He was the spokesman for the Snøhvit matter when it was considered in the Storting. He is afraid that people will lose respect for politicians when they take part in dealing with a matter in the Storting and then try to prevent the Storting’s decision from being implemented.

Norway uses disproportionate amount of resources (Aftenposten)

A report by World Wide Fund for Nature reveals that Norway is one of the countries in the world that uses most natural resources. If every country had the same level of consumption as Norway, we would need an area four times the size of the Earth to feed the world’s population. These figures are based on data collected from 144 countries, and show that Norwegians leave the sixth largest "ecological footprint" in the world.

Billions of kroner to be flagged out (Dagens Næringsliv)

In the course of the past few years Director General Bjørn Skogstad Aamo of the Banking, Insurance and Securities Commission of Norway has had to watch his sphere of influence shrink as banks and financial institutions operating in Norway have become increasingly subject to international supervision. The current status is that total bank assets of NOK 117 billion are now under the control of foreign authorities. The EEA Agreement makes it possible for Norwegian branch offices of foreign banks to administer these funds.

Value creation report is cold-shouldered (Nationen)

Arne Pedersen, deputy chairman of the Finnmark County Council, is tired of Oslo residents who claim that they are paying too much to the outlying districts. In his view, the article on the report on value creation in the Saturday edition of Nationen is missing some important points. "The main gist of the report is that people in the Oslo area are complaining about transferring money to the outlying districts. I believe that using this as the basis for a report is pointless," said Mr. Pedersen.

Worth noting

• Ex-Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic’s cross-examination of the Norwegian former chairman of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Knut Vollebæk, ended in a quarrel between the two men, although Mr. Vollebæk found Mr. Milosevic less aggressive than he had feared. (Dagsavisen)
• Kjellbjørg Lunde, former MP for the Socialist Left Party, believes that promising a maximum price for a place in a day-care centre is unrealistic as long as the Progress Party is involved in the deal. She accuses current party chairman Kristin Halvorsen of gambling with the party’s credibility and voter support. (Dagbladet)
• Next summer the Norwegian Association of Local Authorities and the Norwegian Health and Social Welfare Association will merge to form one big organization. This may mean that the Labour Party’s long-standing period of dominance in the former will come to an end. Gunhild Johansen (Socialist Left) will probably be named head of the new organization. (Klassekampen)
• Minister of Justice Odd Einar Dørum (Liberal) is planning to see to it that 350 additional prison places are built. This will be just enough to take care of the prisoners waiting to serve their sentences. "There will be some new places available as early as this autumn. I cannot say anything certain about when funding for the rest of them will be available," said Mr. Dørum. (NTB)
• Concern about their own safety induced Norwegian police officers to secretly send their bullet-proof vests for testing. The result was appalling: seven of ten bullet shots could have had fatal consequences. (Verdens Gang)
• Yesterday Storebrand opened the door for the sale of its loss-making Finansbanken as a result of the failed merger with Den norske Bank. Indian businessman Karan Jugde has already tendered a bid of NOK 1.95 billion. If his bid to purchase Finansbanken is rejected, he intends to try to buy Kreditbanken. (Aftenposten)
• Four years ago the cost of one Swedish krone was over NOK .95. Yesterday the Swedish currency plunged to a bargain rate of under NOK .80 in Norwegian banks, and Norwegians are buying Swedish kroner as though there was no tomorrow. (Aftenposten)
• Only 68 per cent of Norway’s 14-year-olds chose to have a religious confirmation last year. The percentage of young people who were both christened and confirmed in the Church of Norway also dropped. (Vårt Land)
• An Oslo woman has accepted a fine of NOK 2 million in compensation after she withdrew her bids for two top-floor flats. The 28-year-old woman decided that she didn’t want to live in the penthouse flats after all, as she wouldn’t be able to walk around naked because some rooms in the flats could be seen from the windows of nearby buildings. (Dagens Næringsliv)

Today's comment from Aftenposten:

This is not the first time that a Member of the Storting has participated in a demonstration against a decision taken by the Storting. But a peaceful, lawful demonstration is one thing, and an unlawful demonstration is something else again. Socialist Left MP Heidi Sørensen set a new record yesterday when she participated in the occupation of a barge used by Statoil to transport construction machinery to the planned Snøhvit terminal outside of Hammerfest. We note with surprise that Kristin Halvorsen, head of the Socialist Left Party, defends her party colleague by saying, "(I) understand that this issue is so important for Heidi that she has chosen to exercise civil disobedience". It is thus hard for us to take Ms. Halvorsen seriously when she also says, "The Socialist Left parliamentary group acknowledges that a democratic decision has been taken". In short, that the party’s viewpoint regarding the development of the Snøhvit gas field did not prevail. Jørgen Kosmo, President of the Storting, is right to say that Heidi Sørensen has acted unwisely. As a member of the country’s legislative assembly she must refrain from participating in unlawful actions that are directed against decisions that were arrived at by lawful means. It is not unusual for members of the Storting and their parties to be overruled at the Storting. But when a decision has been taken, it is clear that the losing side must accept its defeat and support the implementation of the decision. Regardless of the strength of the convictions and conscience that are invoked by a member of the Storting, there is no excuse for resorting to civil disobedience. Heidi Sørensen’s actions are unacceptable.