Half the population oppose additional cash benefit (Nationen)

Half the population wants the additional cash benefit for the under-threes abolished in its present form, according to a recent opinion poll carried out for Nationen. An equal number of people want to see the benefit retained. 43.7 per cent favour abolition, while 43.4 want it kept as it is. Despite the Labour Party’s fundamental opposition to the additional cash benefit, as many as a third of Labour voters want it retained unchanged. Only 25 per cent of those under thirty want the scheme abolished.

Get real, says Bondevik (Aftenposten)

Kjell Magne Bondevik has called on the Conservatives to be realistic and stick to the coalition alternatives which are on the table. "The Conservatives are acting with more self confidence than they have done in a long time, but they must be realistic," says Mr Bondevik. Conservative Party chairman Jan Petersen had to admit on Sunday that the party’s plans to form a government contain a lot of uncertainties. The Progress Party could play a decisive role in determining the Conservatives’ chances, though Mr Petersen did no more than hint at discussions with Mr Hagen.

Conservatives polish their conservative image (Vårt Land)

Ethics are the top priority, says the Conservative Party, which is busy polishing its conservative image. The party’s new policy document should meet with the Christian Democrats’ approval – which suits the Conservatives. Several of the delegates to the Conservatives’ annual conference spoke about choosing the conservative line on moral issues, instead of taking a liberal approach. Some senior Conservatives have gone as far as to describe the new party programme as "an open invitation to the Christian Democrats".

LO threatens to strike over hospital reform (Dagsavisen)

Senior women leaders of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) have said they cannot rule out strike action if the Labour Party does not listen to the LO’s views on hospital reform. "At the very least this proposal jeopardizes the cooperation between the Government and the trade unions," says Turid Lilleheie, president of the Norwegian Civil Service Union (NTL). Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg remains unmoved by the LO’s threats. "What the LO says is obviously important, but the Labour Party has adopted a resolution on hospital reform and that is what we will try and achieve a majority in the Storting for," he says.

Unhappy at Labour’s change of policy (Dagsavisen)

Prime Minister is sticking to his new policy and is keeping the door firmly shut on both the Socialist Left Party and the Centre Party as potential coalition partners after this autumn’s general election. Gerd-Liv Valla, who will shortly take over as president of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO), has joined the PM’s critics. "I agree with Yngve Hågensen that it would be wrong to reject a coalition agreement with the Socialist Left Party and the Centre Party," she says.

Lost battle for Kværner (Dagens Næringsliv/Saturday)

At 8.05 last night, Kværner’s chief executive, Kjell Almskog, won a surprise victory over Kjell Inge Røkke in the battle for control of the company. 40 million shares voted in favour of the nomination committee’s proposal, while 37.5 million shares voted against. There was a record turnout for last night’s annual general meeting. 82,082,055 shares were represented. This corresponds to 76.98 per cent of the company’s equity capital.

Future in the balance (Aftenposten/Saturday)

To everyone’s surprise it was Kværner’s chief executive, Kjell E. Almskog, who left the table a winner last night. Following a passionate final address to shareholders at yesterday’s annual general meeting, in which he described the vote as deciding the fate of the company, he managed to win the support of the most important shareholders. The two institutional investors which finally decided the vote were Gjensidige NOR and Kreditkassen’s K-Fond.

Kværner blunder could cost billions (Dagbladet/Sunday)

Kjell Inge Røkke’s Kværner strategy has provoked controversy not only externally, but also among the multi-millionaire’s closest advisers. A tactical blunder could have cost Mr Røkke victory in the battle for control of Kværner. If he had kept a couple of board members from the nomination committee’s list, he would probably have won a majority. But Mr Røkke rejected the nomination committee’s entire recommendation and launched a counter-proposal containing only new names.

LO election could weaken Jagland (Dagbladet)

Thorbjørn Jagland and Yngve Hågensen. Together these two have been a force to be reckoned with in Norwegian politics for more than a decade. But when Mr Hågensen hands over leadership of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) to Gerd-Liv Valla tomorrow, this concentration of power within the Labour movement will come to an end, despite the fact that Mr Hågensen will continue as a member of the Labour Party’s executive committee. The new LO president has never concealed the fact that she and Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg are on extremely friendly terms.

Worth Noting

• Healthcare workers have an obligation to report to the police if a person is unsuited to drive a car, but not if a person is unsuited to own a gun. It is the absolute duty to maintain patient confidentiality which prevents efforts to confiscate guns from those with severe mental problems. (Dagsavisen/Saturday)
• The Flekkefjord branch of the Progress Party disintegrated on Friday. Sogndalen will probably follow suit in the near future. "Even if Mr Hagen says that the party is finished with this issue, we most certainly are not," says Jan Ole Dahl, chairman of the Progress Party’s Kristiansand branch. (Aftenposten/Sunday)
• People are threatening to kill each other as never before. The number of death threats being investigated by police throughout the country has risen by 20 per cent compared to 1999, according to recent figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics. (Dagsavisen/Sunday)
• Headmasters should be employed on fixed-term contracts, says the Conservative Party. Other decisions made at the Conservatives’ annual conference this weekend include a resolution to maintain NRK’s licence-fee, while the debate on whether homosexuals should be allowed to adopt has been quietly dropped. (Aftenposten)
• The American institutional investor Citadel Investment Group owns the so-called Morgan Grenfell tranche of shares in Kværner. The existence of the tranche of shares came to light when Kjell Inge Røkke and Aker Maritime were forced to reduce their shareholding in Kværner. (Dagens Næringsliv)
• The Conservative Party will back Trade and Industry Minister Grete Knudsen’s proposals to support continued coal mining on Svalbard. The Conservatives’ annual conference will today vote in favour of commercial activity at the Svea Nord coal mine.(Dagbladet/Sunday)

Today’s comment from Aftenposten/Saturday

The extraordinary battle for control of Kværner, one of the few remaining industrial giants in Norway, ended on Friday with a narrow victory for the company’s chief executive, Kjell Almskog, and its existing board of directors made up of well-known Norwegian business figures. It was the first defeat for Kjell Inge Røkke, who owns Aker RGI, since he secured control of the wealthy, but rather sluggish Aker corporation five years ago,. It is too early to say if the Kværner decision will mark a turning point for Mr Røkke and Norway’s industrial culture. But we already know that the clarification was important. Mr Røkke’s role in Norwegian business is special. He has been a useful and extremely necessary challenger to the "old boys’ network" of business leaders, a network which suffers from many of the defects afflicting the aristocracy; it is closed to outsiders, self-serving and self-satisfied. The owners of a well established industrial company have now opened their eyes, straightened their backs and risen up in protest against Mr Røkke, who they see as an asset-stripper. And they won. In our opinion this is a well-deserved and useful victory. It is useful because it will force Mr Røkke and his financial and political supporters to pause for thought. The fastest thinker yesterday was Yngve Hågensen, outgoing president of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO), who lent his weight to the Kværner employees’ "no" to Mr Røkke. The victory won by Kværner’s management has given Mr Røkke an opportunity to think again. He should make good use of it.