– Where does she want to cut? The question came from Prime Minister and Labor Party leader Jonas Gahr Støre in a duel with Conservative Party leader Erna Solberg. The two have very different views on how much money they should spend in the revised national budget. It is the annual update of the state budget, which this year has been heavily revised. The government plans to spend NOK 56 billion more. Among other things, to help people with increased prices, accept refugees and support Ukraine. – It must end with sound spending, says Støre. But Erna Solberg criticizes the government for spending money. – At a time when we have a lot of pressure on the Norwegian economy, where we have record tax increases, then we also have to hold back a little in the public sector, says the leader of the Conservative Party. The sum may increase The Government’s spending may increase after the negotiations with SV. Støre believes that the important thing is to ensure that the country gets safely through a time of inflation. Therefore, they have to compensate for higher price growth. – Then we pay for some bills that we as a community must pay for: the support for Ukraine’s defense struggle, Ukrainian refugees, electricity support, national insurance, says Jonas Gahr Støre. 5 billion separate Conservative Party leader Erna Solberg believes it is important to hold back on spending. Otherwise, she believes interest rates and prices may rise even more. She added that the large Ukraine package, which the Conservative Party supports, does not affect interest and price levels in Norway. The government proposes to spend NOK 372 billion, while the Conservative Party proposes NOK 367 billion. – So, if the irresponsibility the Conservative Party accuses us of lies there, in the five billion in between, I don’t think so, says Støre. Støre will not answer how far the government will go to agree with SV. But he is clear on one thing: – The action rule applies. Cut list not ready The Conservative Party will spend NOK 5 billion less than the government in its alternative to a revised national budget. – There is a lot the government has suddenly been able to afford in this budget, which they could not afford last autumn. Then it is welfare that will suffer in the future, says Solberg. The final cut list has not been submitted. Solberg says Høyre’s alternative will probably be known during Monday. The Center Party’s parliamentary leader Marit Arnstad (Sp) has also criticized that the Conservative Party has not yet submitted its cut list. Will compete on quality and price Confronted with the fact that the Conservative Party will now make demands for employees’ wages and pensions, if a private company is to solve welfare tasks, Solberg replied as follows: – We must make sure that we do not only compete on price. Competition must be based on quality, better services and being innovative, said Solberg. – How can this be read as anything other than you giving the Conservative Party’s critics the right: Private players squeeze salaries and pensions to make money? asked presenter Bjørn Myklebust. – There have been some places where it has been. When we establish this, this is also to be very clear to the left, who always run this against us: That is not where the competition should be, she said. It was both interesting and clarifying, thought Støre. – In order to make money from this, it is salary and pension that go beyond. This is an important choice. I do not want to open the door to a commercial industry, where the aim is to make money from elderly care, said the Ap leader.
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Støre meets Solberg – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
