On Wednesday it became known that Ola Petter Flem, the husband of Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt (Ap), has carried out around 100 share transactions in around 40 companies since she was appointed as Foreign Minister. Among the companies are the Kongsberg Group, the airline Norwegian and several salmon companies. Huitfeldt is clear that she has not shared “information that is important” but her husband. – This is a criminal offense to talk about. So it’s clear that I don’t do it, says Huitfeldt in news’s Political Quarter on Thursday morning. Anniken Huitfeldt met for a debate in Politisk kvarter on Thursday morning. – We discuss what is on the news. Take an example then. When I knew that a salmon tax was to be introduced, I did not talk to anyone about it during the month I was sitting on the information, until this became public. Can speak too loudly on the phone Morten Kinander is a professor at the Department of Law and Governance at BI. He says there is no reason to doubt that Huitfeldt is very careful with inside information. Morten Kinander, professor and head of department at the Department of Law and Governance at the Institute of Business Economics, BI. – But what can quickly happen is that you exchange inside information completely unconsciously or unwittingly, he says and points to an example: – For example, you are going to book a holiday together, and the e-mail is open. There it says something about a round of licenses for salmon farming. Or what can quickly happen is that one person talks a little too loudly on the phone, even if you go into a separate room, so that the other person hears and understands what is being said. Unknowingly incompetentAnniken Huitfeldt has broken the government’s competence rules. Even though her husband’s share purchase has been unknown to her, she herself has not fulfilled the responsibility of acquiring all knowledge that could affect her competence. It is she herself who, just too late, has brought presented this information and gave it to the civil service, the prime minister and the press. Both of them, even if the prime minister thinks she can continue in her job as foreign minister. It is difficult to understand how Huitfeldt did not even from day one demand a list of the individual shares from her husband. It seems that whether the husband wanted to have watertight bulkheads between the Minister for Foreign Affairs and his own investments to avoid problems of integrity. There is a wrong perception of the regulations. The Minister for Foreign Affairs must know in order to be able to act in line with the regulations. To deny her knowledge is to make the situation worse, not better, even if it is done in good faith. Since this is far from the first competency case for the Støre government, the case becomes more serious than itself. It underpins the impression of a cultural problem and too little awareness of the regulations. Therefore, this is a scratch in the paint for more than Huitfeldt. The prime minister, the party and the government as a whole are also affected. It is therefore extremely important that this case becomes part of the control committee’s review of how this and previous governments work with integrity. Huitfeldt has not been able to enrich herself with the knowledge she did not have. That distinguishes the case from Ola Borten Moe, who could potentially use knowledge for his own gain. She has not been able to know about her ties, that distinguishes the case from the cases of Brenna and Trettebergstuen who knew about their direct and indirect ties. The fact that all the competency cases are different strengthens the impression that the overall awareness of competency cases is too poor. It may also be the case in previous governments. It is right that the Control Committee is also looking at this. That the Labor Party gets another competency case in the important election campaign rush is extra devastating. It potentially destroys the opportunities of completely innocent local politicians who lose positions and power in their local everyday life far away from the government’s innermost circles. – I am careful anyway Huitfeldt is absolutely sure that she has not inadvertently given her husband information, by, for example, talking on the phone about specific companies or matters. – There is one type of company that is on my table, such as companies linked to arms exports. These are matters that I deal with on a daily basis. I don’t talk about arms export matters on the phone. – It is also for the sake of intelligence. So I am absolutely certain that he cannot have overheard any kind of information in the areas that are on my table, adds Huitfeldt. When it comes to information about the other companies, Huitfeldt says that there are neither conversations nor papers that she takes home with her. – These are matters that other ministers deal with, she says. – I’m careful anyway. After all, I have sat as a member of the government’s foreign affairs and parliamentary committee for 15 years, and daily handled information that cannot be shared by others, so I am quite good at knowing how to talk about things in general terms, and when I enter in specific cases.
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Anniken Huitfeldt sure that she has not given the man important information – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
