CLOSED DOORS: Listhaug believes three cases show that the Støre government seeks closure, rather than openness. Photo: Bjørn Haugan / VG
FRP leader Sylvi Listhaug criticizes Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre for lack of culture, where important information is withheld from both the Storting and the voters.
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FRP leader Sylvi Listhaug accuses Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre of withholding important information from the Storting and the public. Listhaug highlights three very specific examples: Electrification of Melkøya. .View more
– Unfortunately, this trend has been going on for a while with Ap and Sp in government. In several cases, we see that the governing parties train and withhold information from the Storting and the public. The consequence could be that important information is missed by the public, says Listhaug.
She highlights three examples.
Melkøya Violations of competence of ministers Changes in the Public Information Act
– The Center Party suffered a painful defeat in government when they recently agreed to electrify Melkøya with power from land, despite the party’s national meeting saying no at the national meeting this spring, she says:
– In the wake of the decision at the Center Party’s national meeting, the FRP got a unanimous Storting, including the government parties, on a decision to assess carbon capture and storage (CCS) as an alternative to electrification on Melkøya. The government delivered not good enough on this March order before the decision to electrify Melkøya was made.
COMPETENCE: The Frp leader says the competence cases this summer are example number two. Photo: Live Austgard / VG
She says it is highly objectionable that the government, when they presented their plans, did not provide information on whether an external investigation had been carried out, or whether they were relying on Equinor.
– I am happy that it is not only us who are reacting to it, but that SV has also come out and announced that it can become a matter of control. Instead, Støre and Vedum teamed up in Hammerfest and presented what many call – and with which I agree – a castle in the air.
She puts little in between.
– This is not only extremely arrogant of Ap and Sp, but in the worst case leads to electricity customers and industry in northern Norway receiving sky-high electricity prices because the government does not deliver on the Storting’s order and considers proper alternatives to electrification, says Listhaug.
TRANSPARENCY: The FRP leader believes the government is tightening up on transparency related to the Public Information Act. Photo: Helge Mikalsen / VG
The departures of Anette Trettebergstuen and Ola Borten Moe, as well as the competency cases against Ap deputy leader Tonje Brenna have triggered an avalanche of activity in the Storting’s control and constitution committee.
Listhaug believes that answers to key questions have not been answered and are being withheld.
– This summer, the committee asked the Prime Minister’s office to send an overview of all competency assessments, and only received responses to competency assessments made by the legal department in the Ministry of Justice. Therefore, the Storting must once again ask to be sent assessments of a very central point in the assessment of whether other ministers may have breached the competence rules. At best this is training, at worst important information is deliberately withheld from the public, says Listhaug.
– Tightens
The third case she highlights is that the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness recently sent out a proposal for consultation on changes to the Public Information Act. Here, among other things, it is advocated that the record-keeping in public administration can be exempted from inspection, and the document’s existence will be exempted from the public.
She believes that the announced changes to the Public Information Act will reinforce what she describes as “unculture” under Jonas Gahr Støre.
– In our liberal democracy, we assume transparency. The government must, of course, be able to withstand being looked at. We therefore see no reason to tighten the media’s access to access, as the government’s bill proposes, says Listhaug.
– Needs debate
Listhaug says that the Public Information Act works perfectly.
– I have been in government and seen that transparency is a good thing, because it provides transparency. Documents are recorded and the press and others get access to a great deal. We need debate in public, it is part of the job, to stand in debates.
– Are you the right person to be the apostle of openness: would you, for example, not open the tax lists for public inspection?
– We believe it is not right to publish this type of information about private individuals’ finances and make it the subject of public snooping. It is something completely different from transparency about what politicians and the public apparatus of power in Norway do. They perform a job on behalf of the community and then they should be looked at in the cards.
West rejects
Industry Minister Jan Christian Vestre says they have followed up the Storting’s decision on Melkøya.
RESPONDS TO ACCUSATIONS: Labor deputy leader Jan Christian Vestre categorically rejects all the claims from Listhaug about a closed culture. Photo: Helge Mikalsen / VG
– The alternative FRP proposed would have been three times as expensive, cut less climate emissions and given Finnmark neither the much-needed power nor grid. The government’s solution for Melkøya is a piece of cake: It is the largest single climate cut in Norway’s history, cutting over 800,000 tonnes, it creates huge investments in a part of the country that needs it, and Northern Norway will be left with more power after the project is realized than what they has now.
– Wants full transparency
He says the ministers receive thorough training in integrity matters and the prime minister has been clear on what he expects from his government.
– Each minister is responsible for knowing and following the competency rules. The ministers who have made mistakes have admitted and apologized for this. The government is clear that we want full transparency about these matters and will answer the questions the Storting should have about both the matters, the rules and the guidelines.
– As far as the Public Information Act is concerned, the case has been widely consulted and the Ministry of Justice will take a good look at all the input. It is democracy in practice that people can express their opinion. Any changes to the Public Information Act will of course be dealt with in the Storting in the usual way, he says.
Published:
Published: 20.08.23 at 13:23
Updated: 20.08.23 at 13:55
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2023-08-20 11:23:35
#Criticizes #Støre #closedminded #Uncultured
