I would like to write a little about what is going on in Norwegian politics now. The big issue is the debate about the "cash-support" arrangement of the new governement with its Prime Minister from "Christian People's party". To understand the policy of that party I think it is best to know who votes for that party at elections. It is mostly poor women. And the big things that the "Christian People's party" has done since it got the Prime Minister few months ago are things that benefits this group, poor women. First they increased the lowest pension with 1000 kroner per month, that is some about 150 US dollars per month, and the lowest pensions go to poor women. Men have been earning so much and paid taxes for so many years that they get higher pensions. And now they are going to increase the support that some parents with small children (under seven years old) get by 3000 kroner per child taxfree, that is about 400 US dollars per month per child which they do not pay taxes from. Today the system is that children in kindergarten/daycare centers get subcidies from the government by 400 US dollars per month and about the same from the municipalities, and the parents pay about 400 US dollars per month, so the total cost to keep a child in a kindergarten/daycare center is something more than a thousand US dollars per month. Children who are not in kindergartens/daycare centers get nothing of this kind of support. And the children who are not in kindergarten/daycarecenters are often children of the poorest mothers, who are out of work or for other reasons cannot pay their part. These poor mothers very often vote for Christian People's party, and now they are going to give them the same support that more well-off children are getting from the governement. I think it is fine, because today most benefits go to people like me who hold a job with good pay, and the poor get nothing. This is intended by the "workline" policy of labour who is like this: "Those who do not work shall not eat". And this new policy of "Christian people's Party" has already got a majority in the Parliament. First what Labour said was their reasons for opposing this "cash-support" were: 1. It is too expencive. (No, it is not. The Norwegian economy is strong.) 2. It is harmful to kindergartens/daycarecenters because parents will take their children home to get that money. 3. Many women will earn more from having a few children than they do at work, and stay home, and that is harmful. (Pay the women better!) But the policy of Christian People's party has become very popular, and polls show that the new Prime Minister is among the most popular Prime Ministers that Norway has ever had. And now labour has changed. Their proposal is now that they will pay even more, but nothing shall get to the poor mothers! Their alternative is that parents shall be able to stay home with their small children and get 80% of their ordinary pay from the government another year. Today we have this arrangement, and it last for 52 weeks. According to the labour proposal it will be 104 weeks. This will even more: 1 .Be expencive 2. Take children away from kindergartens/daycarecenters 3. Keep mothers away from paid work than the Christian People's Party's proposal. But the poor will get nothing , and to destroy the poor has now for ten years been goal number one for Labour, as I have written earlier. But Labour is not in governement anymore!! This new cash-support scheme can make a difference. Added to the benefits that already exist it can change the life of some families. And our new governement is against the gaspower plants that I have written about earlier, and support construction of a sustainable power supply, like wind (We have got a long and very windy coast) heathpumps and bioenergy. It is quite interesting and exciting in Norwegian politics now! Tor Forde
