In the parliamentary period from 2009 - 2013, the Centre Party will focuse on:

Better transport and communication – where you live
We have shown that the Centre Party will build the country through increased focus on transport and communication. Roads and railways are important both for people and for our economy. The Centre Party wants to transfer more goods onto the railways, and we want roads which make it possible for the products from the enterprises to reach their markets. Green transport and communication policies where public transport is the first priority choice for a larger number of people and where the roads are contributing towards a safer and more environmental friendly use of vehicles, are crucial if we are to achieve a reduction in CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions. Investing in transport and communication infrastructure signifies investing in our future!

Greener economy and industry – where you live
The climate crisis makes it necessary to focus much more on environmental friendly energy, and we need enterprises which develop technology capable of reducing emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases. The Centre Party wants thousands of new jobs linked to renewable energy and to green industry. We want an economy and industry with a vision for the future and which enables us to solve our climatic problems. We must invest in knowledge, and enable, both economically and with respect to knowledge, the small and medium sized enterprises to develop new technology and competence.

School and care – where you live
Care and school must be public responsibility and everybody shall have good schools and good old people’s care where they live. The Centre Party will strengthen the economy of the municipalities to enable these to offer good welfare services to their inhabitants. We need the kind of care which helps people where they live and which makes everybody feel safe and secure. We need the kind of schools which place knowledge in the driver’s seat and give the teacher room and time to teach, and where children and youth are given the opportunity of applying their skills.

A strong Centre Party in another red-green government
We have achieved a lot of Centre Party politics in the coalition government, and have obtained results which are important for the entire country. With the Centre Party in government there has been improvement in transport and communication with respect to both roads and railways, as well as a strengthened municipal economy and increased income opportunities in the agricultural sector. We have continued our fight against EU, made sure that Norwegian hydraulic power resources are still on Norwegian public hands, and we have reintroduced differentiated employer’s national insurance contribution. The Centre Party brand of solutions is highly needed and we wish for a stronger Centre Party in order to obtain even better results. The Centre Party is the most significant party fighting against EU and we want to ensure that there is continued high pressure on our most important issues so that people all over the country are given equal opportunities to live and work where they want.

 

 

100 good reasons to vote for the Centre Party

Green economy and industry
1. Increased support for bio energy and production of heat in order to stimulate production of more renewable energy and create more jobs in important industries in the districts.

2. Establish an energy neutral system of green certificates.  Renewable heat production must be included in this system, in addition to energy from wind, as well as small, mini and micro power plants. We must have a system of support which entails considerable development of renewable energy until the system of green certificates is up and running.
 

3. Strong focus on wind power with further development of technology and acquirement of capital. We will establish Statvind which will act as both the driving force and collaborator in research, development and commercialisation of wind power, in particular ocean wind power.

4. Establish MiljøFunn  – income tax reduction to enterprises which invest in new and environmental friendly technology and which facilitate environmental research and technological development.

5. Develop the SkatteFunn system (an arrangement by which enterprises can apply for funds for research and development activities). We want to stimulate innovation and development within the many small and medium sized enterprises. 

6. Remove the requirement of  employers’ national insurance contributions  for 3 years for newly established knowledge based enterprises and grant income tax reductions to individuals investing in newly established knowledge based enterprises.

7. Remove wealth tax for working capital for the self employed. The Centre Party will strengthen the many enterprises’ own capital to make the industry more solid.

8. Remove the obligation to conduct audits for small enterprises and simplify the Limited Liability Companies Act for small and medium sized enterprises. No enterprise shall have to report information to public authorities more than once. 

Green communication and transport
9. Make strenuous efforts to increase maintenance of, and investments in, our road networks. We want increased maintenance of, and investments in, all quality national and county roads. Increased frequency and capacity of our ferries are important elements in order to ensure that all inhabitants have 24 hours’ access of traffic. Measures to ensure safety against landslides and falling rocks must be in place in order to allow safe access.

10. Increased traffic safety – we cannot afford to lose one single life. Safe roads must have yellow centre lines, rumble strips and mid road dividers, and better safety surveillance. We will further develop pedestrian paths and cycle lanes close to schools and a continuous cycle lane network in cities and areas of high density population. Better driving schools result in better drivers – hence we intend to transfer some of the drivers’ training into secondary schools’ syllabus.

11. Offer 40 000 NOK to the owner of an old vehicle when he/she scraps it and buys a more environmental friendly vehicle. We will use this kind of policies in order to achieve  a greener vehicle park and promoting sale and use of zero- and low emission vehicles like electric, plug in hybrid cars, hybrid cars and bio fuel. 

12. Increase frequency and capacity of national and county roads and ensure everybody access to traffic network 24 hours a day.

13. Increase the speed at which to further develop the railways and build double tracks in the intercity triangle in Østlandet (region encompassing Oslo, Akershus, Buskerud, Østfold, Hemark, Telemark and Oppland counties) and around big cities. Make railway first choice for commuters living near towns. Passing loops must be first priority on stretches where capacity is a challenge.

14. Give priority to ensuring access for public transport in the cities and densely populated areas by increasing the frequency and increasing routes in addition to improving priority lanes for buses. Once satisfactory solution for public transport is up and running, introduce road in larger cities.

15. Faster trains. For all new tracks/stretches, the aim is highest possible speed, where possible, 250 km/hour. We will study the possibility of high speed trains between Oslo and the largest cities in the southern part of Norway, as well as Oslo – Trondheim and Oslo – Gothenburg.

16. Super-broadband. The Centre Party will develop a fibre-based communication network all through the country and make sure that enterprises, public institutions and all households have access to public fibre-based broadband network within 2015.

Safe care for the elderly – nearby
17. Old peoples’ care shall be further developed based on the needs of the elderly. Each individual shall be housed according to his/her need, and be taken care of by people of high professional competence. They should also have access to several doctors. We will increase the number of places in nursing homes, and homes of care as well as day care where we also ensure a system of activities open to all.

18. “Near” care with more health services close to the elderly patient. The Centre Party will move several medical services closer to each patient so that the patients can be assured of good follow up and health services close to their home. We will develop and strengthen nursing homes to ensure that the  elderly are having good rehabilitation and medical competence close to their  home. 
 

19. Better adaption facilities for those who live in their own homes. We will offer home visits to those over 80 to determine their health- and care needs as well as needs for physical adaptation. All of them shall be given financial and  practical assistance to make necessary adaptation in their house and we will make use of technology in the home in order that more of them shall feel safe and secure in their own homes.
 

20. Increase in the level of competence in the municipalities. We shall continue strengthening the financial situation of the municipalities to enable them to employ more people in care. We shall have improved medical coverage in the form of more doctors and qualified personnel in “near” care. Employees must be ensured the right and obligation to further training and activities for increasing their competence.
 

21. Ensure recruitment of good professionals and give the employees better working conditions by amongst others offering them the possibility to work more hours closer to 100% employment, thus eliminating part time employment for those who do not want to work only part time. 

A school capable of promoting knowledge
22. Increasing the number of teachers is more important than increasing the number of lessons. The Centre Party will give priority to ensuring resources for increasing teacher/pupil ratio rather than introduce more hours at school. We will also maintain the voluntary status of SFO (a service offer open to all pupils between grade 1 and 4 for them to be looked after within the school premises by professionals after ordinary school hours and up till 5pm). More and better qualified teachers will increase the quality of education offered to each pupil. Teachers with authority gained through increased qualifications are able to keep order and peace in the classroom. Each pupil receives an education adapted to her/his needs.

23. Strengthen the teacher. The teacher as a professional must be given the opportunity of doing his/her job in a good way. We want to strengthen the teacher pedagogically and ensure his/her right and obligation to do further training and increasing competence through supervised/tutored practice. Newly graduated teachers shall be offered individual couching in the role of head teachers.

24. Increase the demand for quality in teachers’ training. The Centre Party wants to maintain the period of 4 years’ education to qualify as a teacher, but will place larger emphasis on pedagogy and practice. We will sett the requirement of at least obtaining the grade 4 (out of the total of 6) in Norwegian language, mathematics and English language and introduce a system of interviews as part of the entry requirements to teachers’ training.

25. A more practical oriented school. There should be room for more practical knowledge in schools in Norway. The knowledge conveyed must be considered relevant also for those pupils whose needs and inclinations are more practical than theoretical. We want pupils to have the possibility to receive a more practical oriented education as from their 9th year of school.
 

26. Development of knowledge and community spirit must be the pillars of primary school education in Norway. We want to focus on early mastery of reading and writing as well as of mathematics and English. Pupils with special needs must be accommodated at an early stage.

27. Stop the drop out in secondary school. The Centre Party will reduce the drop out rate in secondary school by creating better counselling through special training of school counsellors, providing an internet based counselling service and establishing a system of “your own” counsellor from grade 8 and all through secondary school.
 

Energy, climate and the environment  
28. Not open up for petroleum exploitation outside Lofoten, Vesterålen and outside Møre. We will give first priority to further development of the fishing industry, renewable resources and the environment.
 

29. Demand CO2  cleansing in new gas power plants and effectuate public investments in infrastructure for capture and storage of Co2.
 

30. Ensure public ownership of our hydraulic power resources and maintain the system of reversion.
 

 

31. People should pay the same power supply costs regardless of where in the country  they live. Supply of power is a communal good.
 

32. Give priority to managing existing conservation areas and ensure that simultaneously with decisions of more conservation areas, funds will be  allocated to the elaboration of a sustainable management plan of the area in the years to come.

33. Use rather than conservation. The Centre Party wants differentiated policies to protect and conserve important recreational areas under pressure, while at the same time ensure sustainable use in less densely populated areas. We will motivate cities to facilitate green and recreational areas for their inhabitants.
 

34. Oppose the use of nuclear power in Norway and engage in efforts to reduce the use of nuclear power worldwide.

Economic/financial policies in order to achieve political goals 
35. Taxation according to ability is the main principle in our tax and duty policies. Taxation on wealth/fortune as well as on income should be more progressive by increasing taxation on high bracket incomes while reducing it at the bottom  of the scale.

36. We want to build the country and invest in the future. Investing in infrastructure and transport and communication is an investment in the future. The Centre Party will use a larger proportion of our petroleum wealth to build more roads and rails in order to increase the competiveness of enterprises all over the country, and also to enable people to live where they themselves want.

37. Increase the upper limit of BSU-saving (a very advantageous scheme for young people to save money to buy a home) to 300 000 NOK. We want to increase young people’s opportunities to save money to buy their own home.
 

38. Reduce VAT on food products, introduce zero VAT on fruits and vegetables, while at the same time increase taxation on food items containing sugar. The Centre Party want to use taxation as a means to promote political goals like for example redistribution of wealth and improvement of public health.

39 Introduce tax cuts for single persons. A large part of our population is today living in one person households. The Centre Party wants policies that redistribute incomes and taxes amongst the inhabitants so that one’s life situation shall not  determine one’s possibilities.

Environmental friendly food production.   
40. Norwegian agriculture shall be Norway’s contribution to global food security. A resource rich country like Norway has a duty to contribute as much as possible to global food production in order to face population growth and stop hunger. The main directions in our agricultural policies must be elaborated through national schemes. We want to strengthen income opportunities considerably to ensure that our agricultural production grows big enough to cover as much as possible of the demand.

41. Ensure profitable management also of more marginal agricultural areas through differentiated means and tools and increase motivation for grazing in order to harvest fodder resources in the outlying fields and conserve the cultural landscape. We must increase income opportunities considerably for all working in the agricultural sector.

42. Implement restrictive land conservation policies with strong limitations and directions for suggestions of changes in use of cultivated land, and increase focus on upholding  cultural landscape deserving to be conserved. We will further increase the density in densely populated areas and in cities in order to protect important types of nature and arable land suitable for food production.

43. Norwegian agriculture shall be environmental friendly. Norwegian  agriculture shall be a long term and sustainable agriculture which takes environmental challenges seriously. We will promote environmental friendly forms of  management. The changing of direction towards more environmental friendly forms of management will also considerably increase profitability. We will support research and technology development which can increase  environmental gains in agriculture.

Fish for the community      
44. Our fishing resources belong to the Norwegian people as a whole. No individuals of individual enterprises can be given eternal and exclusive rights to these resources whilst others are being excluded from benefitting from them. A system of quotas will ensure stability and predictability and political control over the quotas in order to ensure continued settlement in many small coastal communities, in addition to ensuring recruitment of employees into the industry.
 

45. Ensure a decentralised reception/delivery structure through special schemes  and funds for establishing  reception units where otherwise there are no other options for delivery.
 

46. Give priority to local linkages and ownership within fisheries and sea farming and establish, in collaboration with the industry, a system of compensation for sickness leave.

Education and research for the future 
47. More balanced distribution of study places in the country. Universities and university colleges are important elements for development in all parts of our country. The Centre Party wants a more even distribution of study places so that everybody will have the opportunity of studying nearby where they live.
 

48. Stable and predictable financing of universities and university colleges. Universities and university colleges shall receive an increased basic allocation in order to be less dependent on the number of study credits obtained by the students.
 

49. Increased allocation to research equipment in order to improve conditions for research in the various institutions. We will establish a system whereby educational institutions can, jointly, acquire research equipment.

50. Establish a “carrier path centre” and “establisher’s school” at all public university colleges.
 

51. Increased internationalisation of research. The Centre Party wants to establish  funding systems which promote research collaboration with internationals  milieus which are important to prioritised research areas in Norway.

52. Increase grants and loan rates to enable students to afford to be studying full time and thereby enhance the quality of the results. The Centre Party will introduce a system of grants for 11 months a year.
 

53. Remission of student loans. We need people with higher education in all parts of the country. We want to expand the system of student loans so that all holders of student loans who are living and working in municipalities that qualify for differentiated employer’s national insurance contribution, can receive an annual  remission of up to 6% of the total loan, maximum 15 000 NOK per year.

Good medical services in the vicinity
54. Increased focus on preventive health measures. The Centre Party will give higher political priority to public health. Prevention of health problems brings benefits and will reduce social health differences, prevent chronic diseases, lead to lower public spending and increase people’s quality of life. Municipal health services must be strengthened to allow prioritisation of preventive health activities.
 

55. Allow voluntary sector and organisations a more prominent role in the implementation of health activities.
 

56. Establish medical centres at district level as well as more mobile teams from the specialist health services which can assist the municipalities and the primary health services in order to increase the quality of the health services available where people live.
 

57. All local hospitals to have maternity facilities.

58. Increase the number of tasks for which local hospitals are responsible.  Treatment of common but important diseases must be decentralised while highly specialised diseases must be treated centrally in a few, bigger hospitals in order to ensure the quality of services.
 

59. High quality emergency preparedness which will ensure that patients receive quick and good emergency treatment. The Centre Party will development the ambulance services in order to reduce the lapse of time from a patient needs help to the moment he/she is under qualified treatment.
 

60. Money must not be the determining factor for what kind of assistance you are given. The Centre Party will development new funding mechanisms for  hospitals so that we get an effective treatment of all diseases as well as the chronic and complex ones. Activity based financing shall not exceed 40%.
 

61. Strengthen the efforts to improve organ donation so that donor potential is exploited fully and the needs of organ donations are fully met.

Gender equality, work and welfare
62. An “equal pay allocation”  which will be used to redress the imbalance between salaries paid to male and female workers with the same level of  education in the health and welfare sector as well as in education and other professional sectors.
 

63. The law pertaining to compensation for occupational injury must be reviewed and adapted to all occupations.
 

64. End of all part time work which is not voluntary. The Centre Party will implement a nationwide project where all municipalities map out the extent of  part time work and elaborate a plan of activities aiming at avoiding part time work which is not voluntary.
 

65. Right of paying paid a salary for all those with permanent need for specially adapted employment.
 

66. Include more employment sectors in the regulations for wage agreements and simplify procedures for the general application of wage agreements.
 

67. Grant the same rights to receive sick pay, also when your child or other dependents are sick, to the self employed  as the employees are being  granted.

Housing policies
68. Everybody shall have the right to a home, either through renting or owning. We want to further develop the housing allowance scheme by increasing the  upper limit of income to enable more people will qualify for receiving housing  allowance. We also want to make it easier to obtain a start-up mortgage in the  Norwegian National Housing Bank. Furthermore, we want 5000 additional  municipal houses/flats for rent.
 

69. Improved living environment. We will assess several of the holistic investments to improve the living environment made by Groruddalen district in Oslo to see  whether these will be applicable also in other cities.

Family
70. Further develop the cash benefit scheme for parents with small children. We want this scheme to target families where one of the parents is at home with a  child under 2 years of age.
 

71. Introduce a division of parental leave of absence in connection with the birth of a child whereby one third is taken by the father, one third by the mother and  the last third is shared between the mother and the father.

72. Increase in the amount given as a one time support to women who do not qualify for benefits.
 

73. Increase the allowance to parents who want to adopt to NOK 70 256.
 

74. The objective of 100 percent kindergarten coverage shall focus more oncity  districts rather than city boundaries in order to ensure that children are being  accepted in kindergartens in their neighbourhood.

Integration
75. Grant Norwegian citizenship after 5 years (in stead of the usual 7) if the applicant has passed a Norwegian language and a Norwegian society test.

76. Establish an integration commission with a view to assess activities and formulate suggestions of how to improve integration.
 

77. Remove employer’s national insurance contribution for those employing refugees during the first five years of stay for these refugees.
 

78. Introduce free core time for all five year old children in kindergartens in areas where there are many people with minority background.

79. Give more opportunities to female immigrants working at home for learning the Norwegian  language, as well as learning about the Norwegian society and set  of values.
 

80. Make use of voluntary organisations in the integration efforts. We want to make it attractive for organisations and associations to get involved in  integration issues at local level.

Voluntarism and culture
81 VAT on voluntary work shall be fully refunded.
 

82. It shall be easier to do voluntary work. We will evaluate the support mechanisms in order to grant more governmental support to voluntary work,  reduce bureaucracy and ensure that in the future all contact with public authorities pertaining to this shall be done via internet.

83. Implement Culture School improvement project through a four year escalating plan in order to achieve the goal of at least 30% of all children shall receive an  offer of a place in these schools.
 

84. Ensure good support mechanisms for building of sports installations and facilities both for recreational and top level sports, adapted to children, youth  and adults.
 

85. Tax relief for enterprises supporting cultural activities.

86. Increased public responsibility for maintenance of church buildings and complete responsibility for maintenance of church buildings dating from the Middle Ages.

87. Increase the Instrument Fund and make it possible for choirs and bands to have directors and instructors employed by the local culture school.

Holistic policies for the High North
88. Establish a The High North fund of 100 billion NOK. The fund shall be used to finance activities pertaining to amongst others infrastructure, local business  development within the framework of activities on the continental shelf and  tourism.

89. Norway must be in the forefront and assume a big responsibility in the north for security policy with regards to preparedness, monitoring of the environment  and natural resources as well as rescue operations in cooperation with the  other Nordic countries, NATO and Russia.
 

90. Ensure activity in the north. In connection with announcements of new activities and in the follow up of the petroleum activities in the north, the  government state shall formulate concession demands which guarantee genuine activity and offshoots of these in the north region.
 

91. The North of Norway must be at the forefront with respect to telemedicine,arctic agriculture and ocean wind power. The Centre Party will establish a  telemedicine centre with a view of service the region across country borders.  We will strengthen research in arctic agriculture and develop brand products  for arctic agricultural goods. The regional initiative for ocean wind power must  be strengthened. There is a big potential for wind power in the north of Norway.
 

92. Increase the investments in the tourism industry in the north.

A defence well rooted in the people of the country         
93. General conscription for men shall be the pillar for the Norwegian defence. Norway shall have a people’s defence and not a recruited one.

94. Organise and adapt the size of our Armed Forces based on Norway’s characteristics and challenges. The capacity for national defence shall always  be given highest priority in case of scarce resources.
 

95. Clear UN mandate when participating in international operations. Norway is depending on allied support from NATO in order to be able to face challenges  directed at Norwegian security. In the event that Norway participates in NATO  operations outside the area of the alliance, this must be done as an  assignment from NATO based on a clear UN mandate.

International Affairs  
96. No to Norwegian membership of the EU. The Centre Party is the guarantor that Norway will not apply to join the EU. We will endeavour to cancel our  adherence to the EEA, and will closely monitor the survey of the  consequences of this agreement for Norway.
 

97. Dispend effort to achieve a new climate agreement encompassing all countries when the Kyoto one expires. Food security has to be included in a  new climate agreement. In order to create universal understanding for a  common responsibility, rich countries must  henceforward carry the bulk of the  costs as a result of climatic changes and with which poor countries have been saddled up till now.

  
98. Increased  market access in Norway for developing countries. The Centre  Party wants to defend the right to strengthen market access to Norway for  developing countries  at the expense of other – and subsidised – import from rich countries. We are actively engaged internationally in order to stop all kinds  of export subsidies and dumping of food products.

99. Development aid shall, in a longer term perspective, be increased to 1.5% of GNP.

100. UN shall be a powerful global organisation capable of taking action. We want to increase the number of countries having a seat on the Security Council in  order to achieve a more balanced representation of the UN member countries.