The case is updated.
On Wednesday afternoon, Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg (Ap) comments on the diesel dispute from the floor of the Storting.
Just before the decisive vote, he criticizes Høyre‘s controversial feint and points out that there is a lack of funding for the proposal.
At the same time, he makes it clear that the government will comply with the Storting’s decision.
– If the proposal is adopted, the Ministry of Finance will follow up on the Storting’s decision. We will return to the Storting to ensure responsible coverage for this, says Stoltenberg.
Stoltenberg has so far been tight-lipped about the Storting drama.
He now emphasizes that they must make sure that the decision is justified.
– People have increased purchasing power. It is important that we do not do anything that endangers this.
– What is happening is serious
Budget cooperation in play
It has boiled in the Labor Party’s corridor after the Conservative Party proposed to urgently deal with a proposal to remove the road use tax. The Center Party voted in favor and thus stabbed its budget partners in the back.
On Wednesday at 3 p.m., the decisive vote is underway in the Storting drama surrounding the diesel tax, which is a consequence of higher prices after the outbreak of war in the Middle East.
Labor has always maintained that you cannot bypass the revised budget in this matter. They have come up with a proposal of their own, as one of many on the table from the various parties.
Liberal leader Guri Melby presses Stoltenberg on what he thinks about carrying out what he himself describes as irresponsible politics.
– We will implement the Storting’s decision, but will return at the latest with revised – perhaps sooner – measures. We have to reserve the right to the other proposals as to whether they will be practically implemented. It requires some time, replies the finance minister.
Red with Høyre support
The budget partners SV, MDG and Rødt have all come out hard against Vedum and sat in hectic negotiations over the past 24 hours.
MDG also intervened with a warning about the so-called tutti frutti alliance they are part of:
– I couldn’t believe my ears the last few days. If Sp breaks the agreement today, it is difficult to imagine that we will find more budget agreements. We cannot govern the country in this way here, says MDG’s Ingrid Liland.
Rødt has said that they will “primarily” support the Labor Party in the matter. On Wednesday afternoon, they still declare their support for the Conservative Party.
– We are happy that there will be a majority for the Conservative Party’s proposal. Most of all, I would like to see the five parties on the left agree. It was still not possible. The government must take its share of the responsibility for that, said Rødt’s Mimir Kristjansson in the debate.
Ap slaughters the Right
Even before the vote, SP leader Trygve Magnus Slagsvold Vedum declares victory from the podium:
– As elected officials, it is our job to listen. It’s about finding a majority that matters, that you get the costs down. That’s why I’m happy that we get a majority that helps people, he says.
Moflag confirmed on Wednesday that Labor will see it as a breach of the budget agreement if the Center Party contributes to the Conservative Party’s proposal gaining a majority on Wednesday afternoon.
Now she slaughters the Conservative Party and points out that their proposal costs 3.4 billion.
– This is an irresponsible process by the Conservative Party. I assume that they will finance this with more use of oil money.
– This is the new Conservative Party, Moflag asserts in the parliamentary chamber on Wednesday afternoon.
– People fill up today
Conservative leader Ine Eriksen Søreide says for her part:
– We must do what we can to secure people’s welfare. Our proposal will mean over NOK 4 cheaper petrol per liter and NOK 3 cheaper diesel.
From the floor of the Storting, she warns that the Conservative Party will also support the Center Party’s proposal to cut spending on plant diesel. She makes it clear that people do not have time to wait to take in the tax reductions in the revised national budget (RNB).
– We have had talks, and have said that we will look at reduced taxes and fees. But: We do not want to take part in decisions here in the Storting that make things worse for people, asserts Tuva Moflag (Ap) from the Storting’s lectern.
– RNB will be voted on 20 June. People fill up today, says Søreide (H).
Responds: – Will be a breach of the agreement
