Christian Democrats put faith in Labour to rescue Government (Aftenposten)

The majority of Christian Democrat branch chairmen believe that Labour should rescue the Government, while one of them says that if the Government is toppled, Labour and the Christian Democrats should form a coalition government together. In an extremely muddled and chaotic situation, the Christian Democrats’ national executive committee meets tomorrow. None of the party’s top leadership have any idea what this autumn will bring. The Government could survive – though no one yet knows how.

Hagen turned down pensions offer (Verdens Gang)

Progress Party chairman Carl I. Hagen was offered NOK 10,000 extra for each married couple of pensionable age. Instead, the Progress Party chose to break off negotiations with the ruling coalition parties. The Progress Party – and the country’s pensioners – thereby lost out on a move to even out the discrepancy between the pensions paid to single pensioners and their married counterparts. This is something the Progress Party has been demanding for years. The ruling coalition parties could not believe that the Progress Party had turned down their offer.

Armed Forces to ask permission before using cluster bombs (Dagsavisen)

In future the Armed Forces will ask Defence Minister Kristin Krohn Devold’s permission before Norwegian pilots drop cluster bombs while on training exercises abroad. Ms Krohn Devold has said she will grant such requests, and faces protest from the Storting. "It is inconsistent to allow Norwegian fighter pilots to drop cluster bombs on training exercises abroad," said Marit Nybakk (Lab), leader of the Storting’s Defence Committee, pointing to the Storting’s decision last year that Norway should work towards an international ban on cluster bombs. The Socialist Left Party support Ms Nybakk’s stance.

Another scandal (Dagbladet)

Under cover of the cluster bomb affair another, far larger, scandal is brewing. Two days ago the Defence Ministry postponed for the second time a crucial contract meeting with the European aircraft manufacturer, Eurofighter. Norway has long since decided to invest in the region of NOK 40-50 billion in the development of a new jet fighter to replace today’s F-16. The competition is between Eurofighter and the US-made F-35 fighter, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).

Call for women to do national service (NTB)

Gender Equality Ombud Kristin Mile has entered the battle to introduce national service for women. Yesterday, Ms Mile and Mona Larsen-Asp, leader of the Norwegian Centre for Gender Equality, invited politicians to a discussion on national service for women. "Equality applies to everyone or no one. The Armed Forces are the last great male bastion," said Ms Mile. But she has met resistance at the first meeting. "We are not going to propose national service for all women, nor is there any majority for such a move," said Bård Glad Pedersen, political adviser at the Defence Ministry.

Call for witnesses at risk to give video evidence (Aftenposten)

Witnesses who are at risk of reprisal are fleeing the country because they are terrified of testifying in serious criminal cases. The police now want to allow these witnesses to give their evidence in a video recording made at Norwegian embassies abroad. Nils-Erik Lie, Judge President of the Court of Appeals, thinks the idea is a good one. The increasingly ruthless nature of crime in Norway is the reason that witnesses simply leave the country. "We must take care of those who assume the burden of witnessing against serious criminals," said Chief Inspector Eirik Jensen of the Oslo Police District’s Intelligence Section.

Help for Mullah Krekar from senior Progress Party politician (Dagbladet)

The man who personally granted Mullah Krekar legal aid turns out to be one of Carl I. Hagen’s closest political allies. For days Mr Hagen has been venting his fury over the decision. "Mullah Krekar is a foreigner in my eyes. I therefore cannot understand why the Norwegian state and the taxpayers should foot the bill for his lawyers when he is sitting in a Dutch jail," said Mr Hagen. The Oslo and Akershus County Governor, Progress Party bigwig Hans J. Røsjorde, has now confirmed that he personally granted Mullah Krekar’s application for legal aid. "I am not criticizing the County Governor, but the legislation," said Mr Hagen.

Increase the transfer of jobs abroad (Aftenposten)

According to Arild H. Blixrud, head of the Norwegian Trade Council, cheaper labour costs should tempt more Norwegian companies to set up shop in low-cost countries. He feels there is no need to feel ashamed that the Norwegian state has helped Norwegian companies transfer their businesses abroad. "It is natural to relocate production activities which require a lot of manual labour to countries which can offer cheaper labour. This development should receive encouragement. The government agencies have a duty to strengthen Norwegian business and industry through such investments abroad," said Mr Blixrud.

Norwegian workers not averse to overtime (Dagsavisen)

Norwegians think that working overtime is no problem, according to a recent survey. Three out of four said that they put in the extra hours, not to make extra money, but to help their company. The Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (NHO) is happy about the figures, and says they indicate that the legislation governing overtime should be relaxed. However, Christl Kvam, leader of the Federation of Norwegian Professional Associations, described the results as a "wrong signal, showing a lack in solidarity".

Worth Noting

• Israel is currently negotiating the country’s entry into the consortium which is developing the Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. This could lead Norway into a weapons collaboration with a country at war – despite Defence Minister Kristin Krohn Devold’s assurances to the contrary.
  (Klassekampen)
• Jens Stoltenberg was unsure whether he should stay in politics right up until last winter. Now he is finally ready to lead the party in which he, quite literally, grew up.
  (Dagbladet)
• In a new action plan to combat family violence, Justice Minister Odd Einar Dørum (Lib) wants men who are violent to women to receive treatment. "That men who cannot control their anger should undergo treatment, is one of the things we will emphasize strongly in the new action plan," he said.
  (Verdens Gang)
• The Labour Party’s youth wing, AUF, is planning to demand that Labour categorically rejects Norwegian participation in a war with Iraq at its annual conference next weekend.
  (Dagsavisen)
• In the past three years the Norwegian state has paid a massive NOK 1.4 billion in compensation. "The state is now showing a greater willingness to accept that mistakes have been made," said Harald Tom Nesvik (Progress Party).
  (Vårt Land)
• Labour Party chairman Thorbjørn Jagland says he cannot understand the fact that the party’s industrial policy spokesman, Olav Akselsen, wants Norway to rescind the EEA Agreement. He wonders whether the reason for Mr Akselsen’s comments is that he does not understand what the EEA Agreement really is.
  (Dagens Næringsliv)
• Former Agriculture Minister Bjarne Håkon Hanssen has called for the removal of customs barriers preventing the importation of a number of agricultural products – starting with tomatoes. The country’s 180 tomato growers therefore face an uncertain future.
  (Nationen)
• Siv Jensen, economic policy spokesperson for the Progress Party, is so tired of economists who attack the party’s policies that she has written to Den norske Bank (DnB) and Gjensidige Nor demanding to know whether the banks’ economists are expressing the official views of their employers or their own opinions.
  (Dagens Næringsliv)
• Four basement storage rooms and part of the chimney disappeared into a hole in the ground under an old-style apartment building in the upmarket Majorstuen district of Oslo. Residents feared that the whole building, whose walls were severely cracked, would collapse. A technical error in the way the sewage pipes running under large parts of the city have been reinforced, could be the cause of the accident. Several other residential areas in Oslo will now be investigated to see if the ground is giving way.
  (Aftenposten)

Today’s comment from Dagbladet

The Oslo branch of the Conservative Party has – after considerable pressure had been brought to bear – now decided to publish the names of its sponsors. Only in this way can the branch organization eliminate the suspicion that business interests can buy the political goodwill of the capital’s ruling party. But now the Storting should ensure a corresponding level of openness across the political spectrum. The Liberal Party has now taken the initiative for a bill which would give public access to details of all donations to the various parties – both at local and national level. Today’s limit of NOK 20,000 to the national party organizations is inadequate, and can be circumvented in a number of ways. The ruling coalition parties and the Progress Party look like ensuring a parliamentary majority for such legislation. It should also win the support of the other parties, so that a unanimous Storting can lend its full weight to the clean-up. That individuals, businesses and organizations make financial contributions to political parties is fine. But it must be done openly, or else the contributor has something to hide. And that does no service to the business of politics.