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During the election campaign the red-green three party coalition focused on three main issues.  For SV, Socialist leftist party an important requirement to enter the coalition government would undoubtedly be an upgrade of the school-system and the availability of cheap kindergartens.  

As for the Senterpartiet, Agrarian party, will want a greater focus on the rural areas and greater funding of less developed parts of the country.

The big brother of the coalition, the Labour Party itself, has campaign on reducing the unemployment and a more active and hands on industrial policy.  They are all also committed to the withdrawal of the remaining Norwegian troops from Iraq.  

Bitsofnews.com Giving you the latest bits.

by Gjermund E Jansen (gjans1@hotmail.com) on Mon Sep 12th, 2005 at 10:41:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Gjermund, thanks for this news.  It's always exciting when the government changes in favour of the progressive side of politics.  Can you keep us posted on how the new government proceeds?
by canberra boy (canberraboy1 at gmail dot com) on Tue Sep 13th, 2005 at 12:07:59 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I will do my best.  And I am under the impression that there are a number of Norwegians here who can help me cover the story.  

Bitsofnews.com Giving you the latest bits.
by Gjermund E Jansen (gjans1@hotmail.com) on Tue Sep 13th, 2005 at 12:00:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Thanks.

How is the current oil windfall discussed? Is it a case of spend now for social needs (presumably the left) vs keep it for the future? Or has this not been debated?

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Tue Sep 13th, 2005 at 03:41:20 AM EST
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This is an interesting question because it has been the rightwing Progress Party (FRP) that has campaigned the most for spending more of the oil-revenues.  This is what you can call an unconditional spending with little or no concern  for the risk of inflation. Besides being a righwing party the Progress party also has populist roots.  At the moment they are probably the party that advocates the most government spending.  

The Socialist Left (SV) belonging to the red-green coalition has also campaigned for more spending but to a lesser extent.  Some of the reason for this could be the fact that the big brother the Labour Party has always been strict on not spending to much of the oil-revenues and instead putting them to good use in the petroleum fund intended to finance the public pensions for the future.  

So all in all the division over spending more oil money or not has not followed the the traditional left-right divide but more a line between those party's that has had an experience in government and those who have not.

Bitsofnews.com Giving you the latest bits.

by Gjermund E Jansen (gjans1@hotmail.com) on Tue Sep 13th, 2005 at 11:45:59 AM EST
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