– We are removing the commuter diet and holiday pay, says Storting President Masud Gharahkhani to news. Today it became clear that there is a majority in the Storting to abolish both the commuter diet and the scheme with holiday pay for Storting representatives who resign from the Storting, already in the current Storting period. And there was also agreement on other strictures during today’s meeting in the presidency: – We are clarifying the regulations around being a commuter by setting stricter requirements for housing at home in order to get commuter status as a parliamentary representative, says Gharahkhani. At the same time, the distance requirement to get commuter accommodation will be increased from the current 40 to 50 kilometres, he confirms. The backdrop for the rules now being tightened is a number of cases with a negative sign about the Storting’s financial arrangements. Gharahkhani describes today’s decision from the presidency as a “milestone in the clean-up work”. – This has been necessary to strengthen trust, he says. Two cases There are two different but related cases that the presidency has dealt with today. One is about the “politician’s salary” or the allowances given to the politicians in the Storting and in the government. The second is linked to the many different cases about the use and abuse of the Storting’s financial arrangements, such as the right to commuter accommodation, severance pay and retirement benefits. Last year, the allowances broke the symbolic million mark, which the Labor Party’s Kari Henriksen thought was bad timing. – As the situation is now, with growing differences, it is important that we see the development in context, she told news. Government partner the Center Party nevertheless secured a majority for the wage increase, together with, among others, the Conservative Party and the FRP. Today, the conclusion from the presidency is that the current system remains, but that an opportunity for moderation is introduced. – On the way forward, we want a moderation option, where a krone addition to the average salary is seen as an alternative to a general percentage increase, says Gharahkhani. The change applies from 1 May this year. This is how the “politician’s salary” is determined. Politicians’ remuneration is determined by the Storting itself, following a recommendation from what used to be called the salary commission and which is now called the remuneration committee. It has three members and is led by former magistrate Geir Engebretsen. Traditionally, the recommendation from the salary commission has been adopted by a broad majority in the Storting, without debate and objections from anyone other than SV and Rødt. The salary development in the rest of society is the most important thing for the assessment that the committee makes, but the mandate states that it must also take “special societal challenges into account when required.” – Scandalous Red stands outside the agreement between the Labor Party, the Conservative Party, the Progressive Party and the Center Party. – They still want a class of politicians with special privileges ordinary people can only dream of. It is completely scandalous, says Rødt leader Bjørnar Moxnes. SCANDAL RESOLVED: Red leader Bjørnar Moxnes. Photo: Tobias Prosch Simonsen He reacts strongly to the fact that the majority will call the scheme with severance pay. – We are turning the severance pay scheme into a restructuring benefit. That means you must have been in the Storting for two periods, i.e. eight years, to get it, says Gharahkhani. – It is also reduced by six months, and it is made clear that the purpose is to facilitate the transition back to working life, he adds. But the majority will still call for the severance pay scheme, Moxnes points out. – Admittedly, they try to camouflage that by shortening and renaming it. But the result is still a misguided attempt to clean up the scheme, says the Rødt leader, who claims it has been abused by several who have received it. – The severance pay is a special scheme that only politicians get, on top of all the usual benefits in the welfare state. ABUSE: The politicians in the Storting have had to endure a number of critical reports about their special financial arrangements. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB Rødt is not in the presidency, but there is no complete agreement in the presidency either. SV’s member, Ingrid Fiskaa, puts forward several proposals that do not receive a majority. SV wants, among other things, that a parking fee should be required in the parliamentary garage, but that free parking should continue for those who have to drive for health or safety reasons. Family trips A separate committee under the leadership of Therese Johnsen, who was previously head of expedition in the National Audit Office, was appointed to review the financial arrangements. The committee has submitted two interim reports, the most recent came in January. Among other things, the committee was divided in its views on which benefits outgoing representatives of the Storting should receive. The politicians have not followed all the committee’s recommendations. The committee would discontinue the scheme which covers up to two visiting trips for family members who travel from the politicians’ home to Oslo. – We disagree with the committee in one area. We want to keep the family trips, says Gharahkhani, and adds: – It is simply because we are concerned that the Storting should also be able to recruit families with children and take account of the district counties. MODERATION: The committee that determines the “politician’s salary” can now choose to give a kroner supplement rather than a percentage supplement. Photo: Tom Balgaard/news – Why do Storting politicians really have to have special arrangements? – Being a representative of the Storting means that you are referred to in the constitution as having a duty of ombudsman. This means that you do not have arrangements that regulate the working environment, holiday, sick pay or leave. So we have to have some arrangements that are important to be able to do the job, regardless of place of residence and background. – Is this sufficient to restore trust? – I am quite sure that people now see that we have been genuinely interested in cleaning up. Otherwise, we would not have asked the National Audit Office to check us or an external committee to go through all the schemes.
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The Storting scraps two schemes – opens up for wage moderation – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
