Høyre's Parliamentary Election Manifesto 2021-2025

Høyre’s

Parliamentary

Election Manifesto

2021 2025

We believe in Norway Høyre

We believe in Norway

Høyre – the Conservative Party of Norway – believes that each one of us can make a difference in society.

Norway is a small nation where we have trust in each other. Our shared trust in each other is the foundation on which we have built our society. Together we have created a society of economic prosperity and good welfare. Throughout the pandemic the trust we have in each other has proved to be vital.

We face a number of challenges in the years to come. In the short term, the economy has to be rebuilt. We must create jobs to replace those we have lost during the pandemic. In the long term we need to ensure the sustainability of our welfare society, so we must invest in knowledge and competence. We need to be more productive and more inclusive.

Høyre believes in freedom with responsibility. We believe that the individual knows best what is best for them. Therefore, Høyre wants a health service that has the patient in focus. When the public sector works together with private stakeholders, they each perform better. We must make use all the forces for good in society. In order for private sector services not only to be available to those who can afford it, Høyre believes that the public sector should purchase vacant slots from private operators and offer them to those who need them. If people need a place at kindergarten or a nursing home, an operation, or help to escape a life of addiction, the most important thing for them is that they receive a high-quality service quickly and at the expense of the public sector, not that of the operator offering the service. Høyre wants a society that puts people first, before the system.

If we are to build the Norway of the future, knowledge is vital. Høyre will focus on upgrading the skills of pupils, students and people at work. We believe that everyone has a desire to contribute to society, so we must have good schemes that make this possible. No one in Norway should become obsolete due to lack of skills, and fewer should drop out of school. Good schooling is the key to effective integration and inclusion.

It is important for society and for every one of us that people have a job to go to. Høyre believes in the creative ability that lies in all of us and in Norwegian enterprise. In order to create jobs, the business community must be given the freedom to create more of them. It will get this through a competitive level of tax, fewer regulations, and digitalisation. At the same time, we must give those who are outside working life better opportunities to join it. We believe that each one of us has a desire to contribute, so it is society’s task to facilitate this. Nobody wants to be the one being helped – we all want to be the one offering help.

We believe in Norway because we believe in all who live here: in individuals, families and local communities, and in the individual initiative of business and voluntary organisations. We believe that the community grows stronger when it is identified by freedom and responsibility, and when as many decisions as possible are made as close as possible to whom or what it concerns. We believe that commitment and creative ability strengthen the community. We believe in Norway because we believe that all who live here wish to contribute to creating a better society for all. We believe in Norway because we believe in you.

Contents

Create more, include more

Create more jobs and greater value

Høyre will put jobs first. It is working people who create the assets we all enjoy. The welfare society stands on the shoulders of Norwegian workers and companies. Large parts of the business community are struggling as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. In the time ahead of us, Høyre will work to raise those companies and jobs that have been particularly badly affected. Høyre will pursue a policy that contributes to innovation, knowledge, skills and higher productivity. This will make Norway better equipped to meet global and digital competition in the future and allow more people to work. We want to be more productive and more inclusive.

More than one million employees work in small and medium-sized businesses. They are absolutely key to value creation and welfare. Høyre will pursue a policy that enables companies to create jobs and sustainable growth in what is the backbone of Norwegian business and industry. Høyre will pursue a consistent and predictable policy that ensures companies a simpler day-to-day life and good access to capital and skills. The state must ensure good general conditions while also contributing towards development in areas where Norway has particular advantages.

Høyre will secure jobs and strengthen Norwegian ownership of Norwegian companies. We will therefore remove the wealth tax on working capital, which is currently only paid by Norwegian owners. At the same time, we will continue to increase the basic allowance so that fewer employees and pensioners have to pay wealth tax.

In order to create a sustainable welfare society, we will facilitate new profitable jobs, take the environment into consideration, and cut climate emissions. This requires innovation, development and restructuring. Work in Norway life needs Høyre’s policies.

• to make taxation of companies and ownership in Norway competitive with comparable countries in order to secure jobs and stimulate the creation of new ones

• to establish a special simplification panel after the Danish model, with a reverse burden of evidence

• to fortify the system of favourable tax treatment for the purchase of shares in one’s own company

• to remove the wealth tax on working capital in order to strengthen Norwegian ownership of Norwegian jobs. Continue to increase the basic allowance on all wealth tax

• to pursue a competition and tax policy that strengthens Norwegian companies’ competitiveness in the face of international platform companies

• to continue the SkatteFUNN scheme

• to make it easier to establish new industry in Norway

• to facilitate that more companies can register all or part of their businesses at home

• to facilitate stronger business clusters and develop a national strategy to attract international companies’ research, development and head office functions

• to stimulate more self-employed people and freelancers to choose to organise their business through limited-liability companies

• to continue to reduce the business community’s overall costs by simplifying regulations and reporting requirements

• to continue the strong focus on business-oriented research and innovation where the principal part of the measures is invested where they generate the greatest growth and societal benefit

• to continue and strengthen the work with an offensive strategy for processing and export in collaboration with the business community

• to facilitate public-private partnerships and ensure that the state, through its procurement strategies, promotes innovation in private business

More entrepreneurs, more job creation

The greatest opportunities for Norway may lie in industries and technologies that have not yet been invented. The business community of the future needs policies that facilitate the solution of society’s challenges in new ways and open up new business models that can provide people with better offers, services and jobs. Høyre’s ambition is for Norway to be one of the world’s best places to turn a good idea into a company.

• to investigate “entrepreneurial leave” according to the Swedish model, where full-time employees with a permanent position can request six months’ unpaid leave to start their own business that does not compete with their current place of work

• to facilitate that more people can start their own business, for example through entrepreneurship schemes

• to simplify and improve the options tax scheme for start-ups

• to assess whether the current provisions in the Working Environment Act are appropriate for entrepreneurs, employees in an entrepreneurial company and companies in the start-up phase

• to strengthen schemes such as Forny, Såkorn and Presåkornfond

• to change the law so that sources of financing such as crowdfunding become easier and safer for people and companies

• to design public tenders to a greater degree so that small and mediumsized companies have the opportunity to participate

• to facilitate private initiatives for the establishment and scaling of Norwegian companies, such as start-up labs, regulatory sandboxes and test centres

• to select one or more test municipalities that could act as a regulatory sandbox and trial a variety of new transport technologies, welfare technologies and other solutions that provide better information and better services to inhabitants

• to harness the power of innovation among entrepreneurs by facilitating increased collaboration between start-up companies and the public sector

• to make public data available to create more digital entrepreneurs and businesses, and allow aggregated anonymous data to be used to improve the quality of public services

• to improve the tax credit scheme for investments in start-up companies

Business development throughout the whole country

Norway is a long, narrow and versatile country which faces a variety of challenges and opportunities, whether you live in a coastal or an inland municipality, and whether you live in a city or a small rural community. Høyre wants to fortify the local community’s ability to create values and jobs from the natural advantages that are to be found locally.

Høyre will pursue a policy that develops opportunities, resources and jobs throughout Norway. We will pursue a policy of balanced development between the major urban regions and the rest of the country. A strong capital, strong regional cities and vibrant regions must go hand in hand to strengthen Norway in meeting the challenges of the future.

Vibrant regions depend on profitable businesses, workforces and good infrastructure. The digitalisation of Norway helps to reduce distances, meaning people can live and work throughout the country. Norway has a very digitally adept population and this can have an important decentralising effect if the authorities facilitate decentralised jobs.

• to expand digital infrastructure throughout the country by facilitating the rapid development of the 5G network, giving priority to sparsely populated areas

• to continue the historical investment in roads and transport to connect the country

• to facilitate the short-haul network to be operated by emission-free aircraft

• to strengthen innovation work with emission-free self-propelled boats and facilitate new infrastructure at sea

• to ensure the greatest possible local ripple effects of value creation that are made based on the use of local natural resources

• to intensify the work of simplifying the administration of remote areas through coordination and a reduction in the number of administrative bodies

• to strengthen local self-governance by reducing the opportunity for state authorities, including the county governors, have objections to matters that are important to local communities

• to pursue a predatory animal policy that ensures the safety of individuals and local communities and contributes to safeguarding sustainable predatory animal populations

• to fortify property rights and give landowners increased influence over the management, regulation and use of land, also in protected areas

• to contribute to good site development policy with an emphasis on job creation so that more people will want to live in the districts

• to maintain a differentiated employer’s social insurance contribution

• to allow the gentle expansion of power plants in protected watercourses if it does not diminish conservation values

• to increase municipal autonomy, for example in matters of activity in beach zones and motor traffic in open country

• to contribute to further developing the urban regions as power centres for versatile business development and active asset management

• to be a driving force for sustainable leisure development where cabins can be built in a climate and environmentally friendly way

• to consider building stronger decentralised, regional skill environments in key business areas as part of a range of instruments

• to establish simpler application processes for boathouses and floating jetties as well as construction in the beach zone for established cabin areas

• to introduce local administration for state land in Troms and Nordland which ensures greater influence and value creation for the local communities and at the same time safeguards Sami interests

Green industry and commerce

The green shift depends on a successful restructuring of Norwegian industry and commerce. Green growth is a question of making it more profitable to create value in an environmentally friendly way. It is therefore important that we combine sustainability in consumption and production. Strict climate and environmental requirements are necessary, but it is even more important that it is profitable to choose environmentally friendly change. Høyre believes that we must adjust the tax system so that it pays for companies to cut emissions.

• to facilitate the development of new products, processes and technologies for the production of sustainable bio-based products

• to ensure better resource utilisation, good societal benefits and higher value creation in the waste industry

• to ensure predictable and stable framework conditions for renewable fuels and energy carriers

• to contribute to risk mitigation in start-up, pilot and demo facilities

• to investigate a CO2 labelling scheme on all goods so that consumers can make better informed choices

• to introduce a voluntary sustainability label based on a model from the Nordic Swan Ecolabel which shows that a company has committed itself to reporting on its sustainability goals

• to facilitate that companies, organisations and educational institutions can report on sustainability goals nationally and globally if they so wish;

• to fortify Norway’s green competitiveness and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by facilitating industrial clusters that contribute to developing new climate technology and creating lucrative new jobs

Smart industry and commerce

For companies, digitalisation and technological development create great opportunities. Norway is undergoing digitalisation at a rapid pace. For industry and commerce to be able to make use of new technology, predictability and facilitation are important. Norway will be an attractive country in which to establish new technology companies. At the same time, we will facilitate that existing industry and commerce are subject to further digitalisation. The coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated the importance of good digital platforms and solutions. Our resource-based industries, such as the energy industry, aquaculture and agriculture, have come a long way, but other industries, the construction industry, the transport industry and the retail trade also want to take advantage of the enormous opportunities the data-driven economy provides for creating new jobs. Norway will be a world leader in using the value of data. This will be a benefit to the population, the public sector and industry and commerce. The use of data will contribute to the development of a new business community and new jobs.

Norwegian business faces the challenge of international technology companies. Close European digital collaboration is therefore crucial to ensure companies’ competitiveness. A first-class digital infrastructure facilitates for Norway to become one of the leading countries in the data-driven economy. The new, strict General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) increases confidence in digital services and gives us a competitive advantage over countries that are less concerned with protecting privacy. It is important to build culture and competence both in companies and among consumers as to what constitutes good privacy protections, and to punish those who break the rules.

• to strengthen the opportunities the data-driven economy provides for new business and new jobs

• to facilitate the development of new services and the creation of assets from public data and data shared between companies

• to make Norway one of the world’s most attractive countries to establish data centres in, with clean power, good infrastructure, high level of digital skills and commerce and industry that is at the forefront of the transition to digital operating models that utilise sensor technology, artificial intelligence and big data

• to stimulate new forms of public-private partnership that can increase innovation in the health industry

• to facilitate the “Internet of Things” through the use of sensors and big data to renew and streamline transport, energy use and cross-sectoral interaction, within the framework of strict security and privacy protections

• that Norway will be a world leader in expanding the 5G network and utilising the opportunity it provides for jobs throughout the country

• to continue to pursue a market-based and technology-neutral policy for broadband development

• to ensure good competition between mobile companies to promote innovation and better and cheaper services to consumers

• to develop a future-oriented regulatory framework that enables new digital platforms in the sharing economy to be used

• to work actively for a level playing field across national borders in the digital economy, among other things by being a driving force for the EU’s digital single market

• that companies and employees should be able to undergo fewer inspections and reporting points, and that inspections and reporting should take place digitally

• to facilitate the use of industrial biotechnology within an ethical framework and be a driving force for up-to-date and modern GMO regulations in the EU

• to abolish the requirement for private companies to accept cash

Norway, the sea-faring nation

Norway is and will continue to be a maritime power on the world stage. The sea has always been at the core of value creation in our country. Norwegian shipping is worldleading and is reforming itself in a greener direction. Norway has great potential in green shipping, and Høyre wants Norway’s role as a global shipping and offshore nation to be safeguarded and developed further. In order to maintain the strong position of Norwegian marine industries, Høyre will realise the Ocean Space Centre, which will be an internationally leading knowledge centre for ocean space technology.

• for Norway to continue to take a leading role internationally in the work of ensuring a sustainable maritime economy

• to further develop a strong Norwegian ocean cluster by stimulating increased digitalisation and technology transfer between the oceanbased industries

• to strengthen research on mineral extraction from the seabed

• to continue the conditions for the Norwegian seabed mineral extraction industry

• to stimulate further green growth and competitiveness in the Norwegian maritime industry and facilitate increased exports of low- and zeroemission technology in the maritime sector

• to facilitate increased research on liquid hydrogen and ammonia as fuels in shipping

• to contribute to more Norwegian-owned ships sailing under the Norwegian flag, by maintaining current taxation on shipping, competitive subsidy schemes for seafarers, a customer-oriented Norwegian Maritime Directorate, and competitive ship registers

• realise the Ocean Space Centre

• ensure coexistence between existing and new industries in the ocean space so that we can harvest a variety of different resources in a sustainable way

Fisheries and aquaculture – an eternally renewable industry

The aquaculture industry is the country’s second largest export industry. Together with the fisheries, the industry contributes to Norway being self-sufficient in seafood at the same time as we supply large parts of the world with healthy, climate-friendly food. The industry makes a strong contribution to employment along the coast and has a very large growth potential going forward. Høyre want the fishing and aquaculture industry to have general conditions that are effective, stable and predictable.

The fishing and aquaculture industry has the potential for further sustainable growth, and Høyre’s ambition is to lay the foundation for several thousand new jobs by 2050. Høyre believes that the fishing industry must be ensured updated and modern rules and regulations, as well as good market access, in order for the industry to be able grow. Høyre wants more of our fish to be processed in Norway. With new technological solutions and competitive market access, this is possible. Høyre will further develop a strong sea-going fishing fleet to be able to catch Norwegian resources in the international zone and assert Norwegian sovereignty, as well as to be able to catch accrued quotas in other waters, at the same time as safeguarding the coastal fleet.

• to ensure stable and predictable general conditions for the fishing and aquaculture industry through a modernised, simplified and efficient regulatory framework adapted to the industry’s needs and potential for further growth

• to simplify, streamline and modernise the bureaucracy and regulations in the fisheries and aquaculture sector

• to ensure sustainable growth and increased value creation in the fishing and seafood industry through, for example, strengthened resource control and technology development, especially aimed at the development of closed facilities

• to strengthen controls on fisheries resources, introduce stricter penalties for fishing crimes and use technology to ensure the control, documentation and sustainable management of our fisheries and marine resources

• to strengthen research on biomarine species

• to facilitate that Norway can become more self-sufficient in fish feed through research and development

• to realise the farming of new species, such as cod

• to consider a separate licensing scheme for closed sea-based facilities and sea-based farming

• to set aside areas for aquaculture outside the current production areas in dialogue with the fishing industry in order to ensure effective coexistence

• to continue a sustainable development of the fishing and aquaculture industry, including through the traffic light system, and be open to changes and adaptations in line with experience

• to facilitate that farmers use new technological solutions, among other things to prevent lice and escapes from fish farms

• that the Participation Act and the Marine Resources Act shall lead Norwegian fisheries policy

• to stimulate the use of new technology and ensure good general conditions and market access to facilitate the processing of more fish in Norway

• to continue sustainable management of fish stocks and marine species, based on professional advice and research

• to actively facilitate the development of inland fishing as an industry

• to facilitate that the private sector can create new jobs in the biomarine value chain

• to facilitate that new players can establish themselves in the aquaculture industry

• to study and implement a trial scheme with rental of concessions to processing companies

• to facilitate local ripple effects and activity from the fishing and aquaculture industry

• to simplify the application process for a license in the blue economy

• to review the Participation Act and consider a strengthening of the nationality requirement

• to utilise our natural advantages in aquaculture by increasing knowledge about coexistence between aquaculture, fisheries, the environment, as well as other industries in the coastal zone and our sea areas

• to initiate an acquisition of knowledge about land use, land needs and land management at sea, and assess the need for a more coordinated land management that better and more predictably balances the various interests

• to work actively to reduce tariff barriers on processed fish, and ensure market access

• to work to ensure that more of the fish delivered in the coastal communities is further processed there

The mountain industries – industry, minerals and mining

Norway is a country of great natural resources. Høyre believes that these resources must be utilised to create jobs, ensure economic growth and help produce the materials needed to implement the green shift.

• to ensure the competitiveness of Norwegian industry through stable general conditions, access to export markets and predictable access to power at competitive prices

• to carry out a survey of the mineral resources in the country and on the shelf and facilitate increased recovery through innovation and simple regulations and planning processes

• to support the establishment of test centres for use by Norwegian companies by fortifying infrastructure and research equipment

• to support the establishment of an elite industrial centre that will contribute to the better exchange of methods, competence and knowledge between small and large companies so that Norway continues to deliver worldclass industrial performance

• to increase the requirements for environmental safety and sustainability with the goal of achieving the greatest possible value creation within a sustainable framework

• to support several large-scale test facilities to help companies develop and use climate and environmentally friendly technology

• to contribute to increased collaboration between knowledge environments that can ensure sustainable solutions for effluents from the mineral industry on land and at sea

• to allow sea landfills with strict requirements for safe environmental monitoring

• to shorten case processing time for mineral projects in Norway, but within current requirements for quality and justifiable case processing

• to together with the industry, develop the Norwegian mineral industry to become the world’s greenest

A sustainable oil and gas industry

The petroleum industry is Norway’s largest and most important industry. Høyre believes that the oil industry must continue to have good and predictable general conditions that contribute to investments and growth on the continental shelf. At the same time, greenhouse gas emissions from the Norwegian continental shelf must be reduced for us to achieve our climate goals. Høyre will work with the industry to cut emissions from the shelf by fifty percent by 2030, including through electrification of the shelf.

Høyre believe that we should not set an end date for the Norwegian petroleum industry, but rather support the industry in its further work with the search for new resources and the green shift.

• to ensure stable and predictable general conditions for the petroleum industry that leads to activity throughout the country

• that petroleum activities must take place with strict requirements for the environment, safety and emergency preparedness, and in coexistence with fisheries and other industries

• to reduce emissions on the Norwegian shelf with the ambition of a fifty percent emission cut by 2030

• to facilitate the continued electrification of the Norwegian continental shelf, while taking into account the power situation on land and the cost of measures

• to consider tax measures and other schemes that can contribute to increasing competition and thus provide a higher utilisation rate for all profitable resources in fields in operation and in nearby marginal fields on the Norwegian shelf

• to increase the recovery rate on the Norwegian shelf by requiring a plan for profitable increased recovery when licences are renewed

• in collaboration with the oil industry, to consider changes to ensure increased profitability and efficiency on the Norwegian shelf

• to ensure that the Norwegian petroleum industry continues to be a world leader in health, safety and the environment

• to ensure good oil spill preparedness in collaboration with private stakeholders

• impact assessments of oil and gas activities in Lofoten, Vesterålen and Senja

Tourism and retail

Norwegian nature is beautiful; the country has an array of cultural activities, a rich agricultural and food culture, and a diversity of cultural monuments and unique world heritage sites. The tourism industry is an important employer, especially in rural areas, supporting many small and medium-sized businesses. At the same time, the tourism industry has been particularly hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic and there is a need to facilitate new growth when infection control measures can be lifted. Høyre believes that Norway has great potential for creating jobs through year-round tourism and increased value creation by facilitating quality tourism.

Retail is one of our largest employers and is an industry undergoing great change. Høyre wants to work alongside the industry in order to deal with the restructuring it is going through.

• to facilitate for attractions and activities being available all year round whenever possible, and to contribute to the development of year-round tourism

• to strengthen the collaboration between outdoor recreation and the tourism industry so that important nature attractions are well organised and appear attractive to users and without unnecessary littering and wear

• to facilitate good brand-building around Norwegian and Sami nature and cultural experiences

• to consider how public-sector tourism work should be organised

• to give municipalities that facilitate cruise tourism the opportunity to introduce a form of local cruise charge for local infrastructure and give destinations the right to limit the number of cruise arrivals

• not to impose a general local or national tourist tax

• to define hunting, fishing and experiences in remote areas as commerce

• to facilitate the promotion of Norwegian food and drink as a culture bearer and a creator of local identity, and for Norwegian food and beverage culture to contribute to business development and to promote Norway as a destination for cultural tourism, with the Norwegian Gastronomy Foundation as a key player

• to reduce excise duties on certain cross-border goods

• to expand the opportunity for local producers of alcoholic beverages to sell their goods to visitors

• to allow the sale of beverages with an alcohol content up to 8% in supermarkets

• to allow alcohol sales in supermarkets until 11 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays

• to preserve a public wine monopoly, but allow Vinmonopolet to remain open until 8 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays

• to abolish the county governor’s approval scheme for tourist municipalities and leave it to the municipality itself to decide whether shops should be allowed to open on Sundays in all or parts of the municipality

• to implement a skill boost for the retail industry in partnership with stakeholders in working life

• to implement measures to fortify competition in Norwegian groceries, including strengthening the Norwegian Competition Authority’s ability to supervise the industry

Agriculture

Agriculture is central to food production, settlement, preservation of the cultural landscape and employment. Høyre wants to create viable agricultural sector throughout the country. Agricultural policy will facilitate an increase in sustainable food production, greater diversity and strengthened competitiveness. Within this framework, Høyre wants the farmer, as a self-employed person, to have greater opportunities for profitable operations through being able to invest in and utilise his own property. We want to strengthen the sustainability of Norwegian agriculture and the food system, and through that contribute to the development of the district economy and the farmers’ living conditions. Agriculture is also a key player in work concerning the climate.

• to strengthen the local mountain authorities and their tasks surrounding the supervision of nature, management and guidance

• to adjust subsidy and quota schemes so that they act as stimuli to the most efficient operation possible, increased food production and improved profitability for individual farmers

• that the Agricultural Agreement shall have efficient operation and sustainable production adapted to the market’s needs as its primary goal

• to ensure that budgetary support ensures a good balance between subsidies for production and for acreage

• to review the structure and financing of market regulation schemes so that they work effectively and contribute to increased competition

• to adjust the Concession Act and the Agriculture Act so that the provisions promote active management and active ownership of resources

• that the Allodial Rights Act is amended to apply only to descendants of current owners

• to maintain import protection, but review and facilitate import protection for certain goods

• to remove the obligation of residence, but maintain the obligation to work the land

• to simplify the regulations for processing food on one’s own farm once health-related food safety has been attended to

• to give the farmer greater freedom of commerce and aim for the farmer’s most substantial income to be obtained from the market

• to evaluate achievement of goals and review the channelling policy in light of the climate, market and recruitment challenges Norwegian agriculture faces

• that concession limits and quota schemes for agricultural production are reviewed and optimised with regard to both geography and profitability

• that Norway shall be at the forefront of efforts to limit the use of antibiotics in livestock farming and maintain a strict regime for the use of pesticides

• to work towards increased Norwegian green production

• to have high animal welfare requirements for all livestock species

• to increase the penalty for serious violations of the Animal Welfare Act and increase the scale of fines for grossly negligent violations of the Animal Welfare Act

• livestock owners who upon violating the Animal Welfare Act do not comply with orders from the authorities should be more easily deprived of livestock and refused permission to operate

• to strengthen and further develop the nationwide livestock police and ensure that more cases of serious crime against livestock are prosecuted in the courts

• to facilitate increased processing and export of Norwegian agricultural products

• to strengthen the work of branding Norwegian agricultural products

• to continue to work for good soil protection and increased agricultural expansion

Forestry

Much of our prosperity, both in coastal cities and in rural areas, is based on forest resources. Forestry affects many interests and the forest serves as a raw material for important value chains. At the same time, forests create a significant space for CO2 sequestration through rational and effective forest management. The forest sequesters half of Norway’s annual greenhouse gas emissions. Forests are also important for biodiversity, hunting and recreation.

• to increase the annual planting of trees by ten million trees by the end of 2030

• to stimulate increased new planting, increased plant density and planting with improved plant material that provides increased growth and better quality and life expectancy of the timber

• to promote fertilisation of the forests in order to increase growth and carbon uptake in the forest

• to continue to focus on and support voluntary protection of the forest

• to actively work to ensure that forests are managed as a sustainable resource within current legislation and certification schemes to ensure increased value creation and efficient carbon capture

• to improve public infrastructure and stimulate the construction of more forest roads, timber terminals and timber quays to increase the industry’s competitiveness

• to stimulate greater use of timber as a building material

• to facilitate new profitable jobs in the bio-industries

• to assess possible tax incentives for forestry to stimulate new and increased value creation with forests as a raw material

• to adjust the licensing provisions for forests to promote active management and active ownership

• to increase private and local ownership of Norwegian forest resources by reducing public ownership of forests

• to increase investment in R&D within forestry and develop new business areas

The Economy

Secure financial management

Economic policy must facilitate the creation of a greater number of profitable, competitive jobs in the private sector. It is a vital goal to ensure low unemployment and high employment. The economy has been under pressure as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The consequences of the pandemic will affect the Norwegian economy for a long time yet to come. Sustainable economic growth and a strong private sector are crucial to securing future welfare and jobs. Høyre want to pursue a responsible economic policy where the goal is to create more and include more. We will adhere to the fiscal rule for the use of money from the Government Pension Fund. We have a responsibility to ensure a sustainable welfare society and environment for future generations. The economic situation is decisive for the political priorities that may be made in the years ahead.

• to pursue a responsible economic policy that provides scope for investment for the benefit of future generations

• to ensure a good balance between the private and public sector through responsible spending

• to spend a greater proportion of the withdrawals from the Government Pension Fund on investments in infrastructure, research and development, growth-promoting tax and duty relief and investments in environmental technology

• to have an efficient and user-oriented public sector and facilitate the greater involvement of private and non-profit stakeholders in the performance of tasks

• to ensure equal and competitive general conditions in the financial industry and facilitate sustainable finance

• to consider measures that ensure that an increased share of private savings can contribute to investments that create new jobs and growth in the economy

• to continue the current framework for individual pension savings, but consider how this scheme can be improved so that more people save for retirement

Taxes and duties

Høyre wants to pursue a tax policy that ensures the stable financing of the welfare society. The structure and level of taxes and duties should motivate more people to work, promote the spreading of power and private ownership, and stimulate environmentally friendly behaviour. Høyre wants to gradually reduce taxes and duties that weaken the incentive to work and which are an obstacle to investments in Norwegian jobs. The pace and scope of tax and duty relief must be adapted to the situation in the Norwegian economy. In general Norway has a well-functioning tax system where those who earn the most also pay the most in taxes. We will continue to reduce the tax on ordinary wage income, and the green tax shift will also continue.

• to implement moderate reductions in the overall tax and duty level and ensure that everyone with taxable capacity pays taxes

• to make sure everyone is left with more of their own income

• to pursue a tax policy that always makes it worthwhile to work

• to stimulate work by introducing an employment-tax deduction for young workers under 30 years of age

• to develop the tax system so that it facilitates the establishment of new jobs, increased value creation, and the transition to a green shift

• not to reintroduce inheritance tax

• to improve the tax conditions for employees’ purchases of shares in their own companies so that more people can become co-owners

• to simplify the system for calculating taxes on benefits in kind and staff discounts

• that Norway will continue to be a driving force for internationally binding cooperation against aggressive tax planning and the erosion of tax bases, so that international companies do not achieve competition-distorting advantages by establishing themselves beyond their tax obligations where assets are created – while Norway will continue to make necessary changes in Norwegian tax legislation to counteract this

• to continue to increase the tax-exemption card limit

• to maintain the tax-free scheme

• not to use the Government Pension Fund as a political tool

Ownership

Høyre wants to facilitate the spreading of power and stronger private ownership. The state’s role as an owner in Norwegian business and industry is extensive and should be reduced. State ownership can nevertheless be justified on the basis of special national considerations, such as the desire to preserve the headquarters in Norway. State ownership of commercial companies should not mean political control, and state ownership must be predictable, professional and conducted at arm’s length. Høyre wants to strengthen the democracy of homeowners so that as many people as possible have the opportunity to own their own home, run their own business, and be a co-owner in industry and commerce.

• to fortify private ownership and reduce state ownership of those companies in which the state does not have important strategic reasons for ownership

• to ensure that head office functions in strategically important companies remain in Norway

• to pursue a policy of increased private ownership

• to set a ceiling on the total value of the Government Pension Fund Norway

– National Insurance Scheme Fund and transfer the surplus to the Government Pension Fund Global

Work and inclusion

Secure and flexible work

In order to maintain a high level of welfare, we depend on a greater number of people having a job to go to. An orderly and well-organised working life results in secure jobs and profitable companies. Høyre’s goal is a safe and flexible working life where those who can and want to work have the opportunity to do so. The Norwegian employment model, where the employee and the employer have a good relationship, serves both commerce and industry, the country, and the individual. Høyre wants to safeguard our secure working lives with a well-functioning tripartite cooperation and a high degree of organisation that ensures the necessary productivity growth and restructuring.

The general rule in employment in Norway should be full-time, permanent positions. A predictable workday contributes to a more family-friendly and inclusive working life. At the same time as Høyre wants to work actively to reduce unwilling part-time work, arrangements must be made for people to be able to adapt employment and daily life in the way that suits the individual and the family best.

• to facilitate an organised work life with a good and well-functioning tripartite collaboration

• to maintain the trade union allowance

• to ensure a robust and modern Working Environment Act

• to consider moderate adjustments and relaxations in the Working Environment Act to provide more flexibility

• to retain permanent, full-time positions as a general rule and develop working time regulations that enable as many people as possible to work in full-time and permanent positions, especially in the public sector

• to facilitate for future-oriented work-life regulations that ensure the necessary flexibility and adjustment for both employees and employers

• to open up to semi-independent positions with stronger protections than current independent positions

• to have a hiring regulation that ensures industry and commerce’s need for a workforce at the same time as the employees are ensured good conditions

• to secure more apprenticeships, for example by further developing the apprenticeship requirement for public procurement

• to continue to facilitate alternative rotation schemes, especially in health and care services

Working should be worthwhile

Høyre believes that at all times the Norwegian welfare society is and should be more than the sum of public welfare schemes and social benefits. Welfare policy must provide a social safety net that takes care of those who, for various reasons, and for shorter or longer periods, cannot participate in work life. Our welfare schemes depend on as many people as possible participating in work life as far as they are able to.

To ensure this welfare for ourselves and those coming after us, a greater number of people must work more and stay in work for longer than they do today. As such, we must maintain the work approach, so that it always pays to work. At the same time, we must ensure that those who need it, receive quick and attentive follow-up to get into or return to work life or are guaranteed an adequate living allowance. Society must make demands, but also make itself available to help out.

• to introduce a pilot scheme where the social security budget, with the exception of pensions, is transferred to individual municipalities to provide better and more comprehensive follow-up of users

• to have a closer follow-up of employees on wage subsidy schemes, and strengthen cooperation with companies to target and increase the use of wage subsidies for vulnerable groups in the labour market

• to carry out trials with health-adjusted salary for persons on partial disability benefits and on work assessment allowances

• to review all income security schemes to ensure that it pays to work for those who combine social benefits with earned income – both in that the benefits are not unreasonably high compared to earned income, and that it becomes easier to combine benefits with work and wages

• to introduce the right to earn a pension from the first krone by 2023 and have interim compensation schemes for industry and commerce

More people into work – an inclusive working life

Participation in working life is important in order for the individual to be able to realise themselves and support themselves and their family. It counteracts poverty and ensures the inclusion of a greater number of people. The biggest difference in Norway is between people who have a job to go to and those who do not. Høyre therefore believes that the most important thing we can do to reduce the differences is to ensure that more people have the opportunity to work. The coronavirus pandemic has led to more people who would otherwise have been in work either being laid off or losing their jobs. We must ensure that this unemployment does not become permanent, and that people can return to work as soon as possible.

• to make it easier to combine education and skill development with unemployment benefits and other benefits

• to increase the use of the skills programme for people with reduced working and earning capacity

• to continue the effort to include more people in working life, including the goal that five percent of the new employees in the state should be people with gaps in their CV or disability, and to work for the municipalities to introduce the same goal

• to increase the number of apprenticeships, also for people with special needs

• to facilitate mentoring schemes in companies that receive wage subsidies

• to implement an innovation reform in Nav’s labour market measures that ensures that more social entrepreneurs can contribute, through innovative procurement, increased local control and several smaller tender rounds

• to place greater emphasis on the results achieved in competitive tendering, including dissemination to both education and work

• to carry out an experiment with free user choice for certain intervention sites

• to increase the number of places and replace permanently adapted work (VTA) and permanently adapted work in ordinary working life (VTA-O) with a more flexible and individually oriented scheme called adapted work (TA), with closer follow-up both within and beyond ordinary working life

• to review all instruments in Nav’s labour market measures to ensure a more efficient and targeted use of resources

• to continue the investment in a digital Nav that will be accessible, understandable and efficient

• to increase knowledge with those who prescribe sick leave about the importance of health at work and assess whether the employer or Nav should also have a role in the sick leave process

• to have grading as an absolute main rule when receiving health-related benefits and when on sick leave, to ensure that those who can work to some extent, can use their remaining capacity to work

• to strengthen the employee’s duty to participate in order to get more people back to work faster

• to improve the employer’s incentives to reduce long-term absence, among other things by considering allowing companies to pay a share of long-term absence in exchange for paying fewer days of short-term absence

• to have more coordinated follow-up from the health service and Nav towards jobseekers with mental health challenges, and increase the focus on programmes that combine health treatment with job training and work participation

• to ensure that people who receive work assessment allowance receive quick and attentive follow-up in order to be able to be assessed more quickly for work, activity or essential income security in the event of disability

More young people into work

Too many young people receive incapacity benefits or are without work or education. Høyre believes that the most important thing we can do to include more young people in working life is to ensure that more people complete school. Young people have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. The longer one stays out of work and education, the greater the chance that one will never enter the one or the other. Høyre therefore wants to prioritise young people at Nav, to ensure closer followup of young people without a job or education, and to focus on activities that provide work experience and skills. Høyre’s goal is that society should never give up young people who are able to work.

• to introduce more turnaround programmes for young people who show up at Nav – through closer cooperation between the counties, the school system, the follow-up service and Nav, young people will be kept away from benefits and return to school or to work

• to ensure that Nav follows up young people more robustly and shortens the minimum requirement for offers of follow-up from eight weeks to five

• to have a strong focus on education for young people both through education as a measure, increased use of ordinary vocational training, and a sharp increase in trainee positions and internships as an alternative to vocational certificates for students with a weak background in compulsory schooling

• to have a greater number of trainee positions aimed at young people who have not completed upper secondary education where they are able to gain skills in the company in exchange for being paid at the apprentice level for a limited period

• to extend the activity obligation for recipients of social security to include everyone, in the first step everyone up to the age of 40, and ensure that Norwegian language training is part of the activity obligation in all municipalities

• to ensure even closer follow-up of young recipients of the work assessment allowance

• to introduce a follow-up model for young people who receive incapacity benefits before the age of 30 that includes a closer follow-up and a new assessment of the degree of incapacity, but safeguards exceptions for those with serious disorders

Work-related crime

That employment is taken seriously is a precondition for profitable companies, secure jobs and the funding of our joint welfare. Work-related crime attacks the foundations of the welfare society, weakens the competitiveness of serious Norwegian companies, and undermines the rights of employees. Therefore, work-related crime and economic crime must be fought in cooperation between public authorities and the stakeholders in working life.

• to have a zero-tolerance policy for work-related crime in public procurement and construction projects

• to ensure that work-related crime is met with clear sanctions and severe penalties, and that work is prioritised both through the work-related crime centres and in the police and prosecuting authorities

• to ensure an up-to-date toolbox in the fight against work-related crime, including through better information sharing, stricter rules for procurement, cooperation with the stakeholders, new approval schemes and strengthening of centres for combating work-related crime

• to make wage recovery for employees who do not receive wages from their employer part of the scheme alongside free legal aid

• to strengthen the work of uncovering organised social security fraud in connection with work-related crime

• to be the driving force in securing workers’ rights internationally and in combating cross-border work-related crime

• to consider giving the Norwegian Maritime Directorate a role in the work of detecting work-related crime at sea

• together with the municipalities and the stakeholders, to create a national minimum standard to ensure a bona fide work when the public sector procures goods and services

• to examine tax credits for cleaning, maintenance and laundry (RUT) and for refurbishment, renovation and extension services (ROT) to counteract the black economy and ensure that vulnerable groups acquire social rights through pensionable income

Increased skills – no one should become unemployable

For Høyre, it is important that no one becomes obsolete in Norwegian working life. Working life is placing ever greater demands on formal skills. This means that people with no or low education are becoming particularly vulnerable, at the same time as many with longer education will experience that their skills are no longer in demand before they reach retirement age. This is placing greater demands on the individual, our working lives and our education sector so that everyone can continue learning throughout life. This is particularly relevant now that more people are out of work as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. For many, the solution to returning to working life will be to acquire new skills.

Norway has adjusted from old to new industry and new opportunities before. A good tripartite collaboration is a prerequisite for success in the restructuring of the future.

• to stimulate the creation of a greater number of flexible further-education programmes that people need and that working life demands

• to strengthen the skills programme

• to establish several tripartite industry programmes, i.e. education programmes where the state and the parties in working life work together to tailor further-education programmes in selected industries

• to give companies the opportunity to pay for their own tailor-made courses from higher education institutions and encourage small and mediumsized companies to collaborate on such commissions

• to encourage larger companies to share their in-house training programmes with small and medium-sized enterprises in the regional business clusters

• to set requirements that the Trade Certificate at Work scheme must be offered in all counties so that a greater number of unskilled people who are employed can complete vocational training in shorter modules

• to provide increased support for workplaces that provide training to employees in basic skills such as reading, writing and arithmetic, oral, ICT and Norwegian for non-native speakers (Kompetansepluss)

• to introduce a right to apply for a new trade certificate if the right to apply for upper secondary education has been used up

• to demand that all county municipalities prepare a skills strategy with binding collaboration with vocational schools and universities/colleges in order to offer relevant educational programmes in the region

• to support experiments with prior learning assessment and documentation, where the stakeholders in work cooperate to document the prior learning an employee has acquired in an industry

• to collaborate with colleges and educational institutions to develop good modules adapted to the needs of working life

• to make it easier to combine further education with the receipt of social security benefits

• to ensure that the State Educational Loan Fund is adapted for adults who are at work and want to complete shorter formal education programmes alongside working

Live longer and work longer in an age-friendly society

People are living longer than before, but are also healthy longer, and more can and want to work longer. In order to preserve the sustainability of the welfare society, in future we will become dependent on a greater number of people working more and staying in work longer. The fact that people have jobs is a good thing for both the individual and society. Høyre wants to combat age discrimination in working life and evaluate benefits and schemes that may create barriers for companies or employees being able to stay in work longer.

• to further develop a sustainable and predictable pension system that stimulates longer employment

• to increase employment among those over the age of 62 by making it easier for more people to stay in work longer

• through cooperation between stakeholders, to take the initiative to come up with schemes where more people can stay in work beyond the age limit, with adjusted wage and working conditions so that both employee and employer benefit from this

• to focus on increased skill development for adult and older workers

• to evaluate social benefits and schemes so that senior workers do not lose the right to them while they are still in working life

• to reduce the cost of employing older workers by abolishing generalised special arrangements and replacing them with the possibility of individual schemes for adapted working hours and other types of flexibility in positions

• that all special age limits are reviewed in collaboration with the parties to stimulate continued work

• to remove the age limit of 72 years in working life

• to prevent pension schemes from contributing to “locking in” between industries in the private sector and between the public and private sectors

• to give the self-employed, and everyone else, the opportunity to save for pensions before tax at the same level as occupational pensions for public sector employees

School and education

Kindergarten – children’s first year

Kindergarten is an effective arena for development, learning, socialisation, inclusion and integration. Children should experience good, safe relationships with employees and other children, and they should be able to explore and discover new connections through play.

Høyre is preoccupied with diversity in the kindergarten sector. We welcome both public and private kindergartens. The most important thing for Høyre is that the kindergartens are of good quality. Høyre believes that everyone who wants it should have the opportunity to choose a kindergarten for their children.

• to have a goal of increasing teacher density in kindergartens to 50%

• to provide supplementary and further education to a greater number of employees in the kindergartens

• to continue the requirement for Norwegian language skills for kindergarten employees and increase the opportunity for Norwegian language training in the workplace

• to establish more educational kindergartens, i.e. kindergartens that have a formalised collaboration with an educational institution on the development of the profession and better practice

• to establish further measures to increase the proportion of minority children who go to kindergarten

• to aim for all children, regardless of background, to have good skills in Norwegian when they start school

• to ensure that a greater number of kindergarten heads are offered pedagogical management education, and develop a greater number of career paths for kindergarten employees modelled on the specialist teacher scheme

• that the municipalities must facilitate more flexible opening hours in kindergartens adapted to people’s differing work patterns

• to have sexuality and boundaries as a theme in kindergarten in order to help children get to know their own bodies and develop awareness of their own and others’ boundaries

• to continue to provide free core time and discount schemes in kindergartens to low-income families, rather than prioritising individual municipalities or individual areas in cities

• to arrange for school starters to attend voluntary summer school before they start school

• to strengthen the collaboration between kindergartens and schools to ensure a good transition for the children

• equal treatment of public, non-profit and private kindergartens to ensure a diversified kindergarten sector

• to supervise the municipalities’ allocation of public subsidies to ensure that all children receive sufficient support, regardless of whether they attend a private, non-profit or municipal kindergarten

• to develop good quality indicators for the kindergartens and be transparent about the quality and key figures for each kindergarten

• to require all kindergartens to have a quality assessment system

• to continue the schemes of free core time and reduced payments for lowincome families

• to gradually expand the sibling discount scheme in kindergarten to also apply to families who have several children in kindergarten and afterschool programmes

• to abolish the parental payment from the third child a family has in kindergarten concurrently

Schools of knowledge that provide opportunities for everyone

Høyre wants schools of knowledge that provide opportunities for everyone, regardless of background, gender and who the child’s parents are. Høyre has high ambitions for each individual student. There is much that has gone in the right direction in Norwegian schools in recent years, but there are still challenges to face. Too many students are lagging behind in their school careers, there are differences between the performance of boys and girls, and too many students drop out of compulsory schooling with a lack of basic skills. The differences in quality between schools are too great.

• to strengthen the duty of schools to provide additional follow-up and intensive training to students who are lagging behind in reading, writing and arithmetic in grades 1–4

• to ensure that schools have a duty to follow up pupils from the first day of absence in compulsory schooling

• to adapt the teaching better to the individual student, whether the student needs additional follow-up or extra challenges

• to raise teachers’ competence in becoming aware of children with high learning potential and providing adapted education

• to ensure that all students have the opportunity to give feedback on how happy they are and how they learn at school, for example through student surveys

• to ensure better reading, writing and arithmetic education for the youngest children, among other things by introducing an obligation that all schools have access to a specialist teacher in early education by 2025

• to open for a more flexible start to compulsory schooling

• to tighten up current practice so that pupils with the right to special education are to a lesser extent exempted from certain subjects, but rather receive adapted teaching with assessment requirements

• to ensure that the student councils’ role in processes in the school is formalised and followed up, and that the students are included in processes in the school that concern them

• to have a national scheme with reduced parental payments for afterschool programmes for low-income families

• to introduce a Talent Centre for Science at all Science Centres in Norway to strengthen the offering to students with high learning potential

• to carry out a pilot with division between levels in brief periods during school so that all students experience adapted training in the various subjects, and evaluate the scheme

• to introduce home visits to parents who do not attend parent-teacher meetings or conferences

• to fortify efforts against bullying, violence, harassment and discrimination in schools and kindergartens

• to strengthen general sex education, including reproductive health, gender diversity, LGBT +, body and boundary-setting

Lower secondary school

For many, the transition between primary and lower secondary school can be a big one. Some students experience knowledge gaps, lose motivation and drop out of lower secondary school without being able to read, write and do arithmetic well enough. For Høyre it is important to address these problems before they become difficult to handle. The school must meet and adapt to the students’ needs to a greater extent. Høyre believes that we must have expectations and make demands on all students, whether they are academically good or need a little extra help in order not to be left behind.

• to implement a comprehensive lower secondary school reform that aims to improve learning, well-being and motivation in lower secondary school by changing the composition of lower secondary schools and introducing compulsory vocational electives for students on the same level as language subjects

• to offer training in entrepreneurship in a greater number of lower secondary and upper secondary schools

• to introduce a duty for lower secondary schools to follow up absences that exceed 10%, and require that all municipalities have common, specific and practical guidelines for prevention and measures for students with a high rate of absenteeism

• to require that all municipalities have an updated absence protocol where parents are automatically notified digitally or on mobile in the event of any type of absence

• to maintain homework, examinations and school grades and trial several new forms of examination

• to reform the subject Choice of Education so that more young people gain good insight into different career opportunities, and perform trials where a number of occupational groups from beyond compulsory schooling are able to teach the subject

• to reform the counselling service and ensure that counsellors in lower and upper secondary schools are up to date on students’ opportunities in higher education and working life

• to recruit more people with experience from other areas of the world of work into the counselling service

• to facilitate an interdisciplinary counselling service and effective collaboration between the school owner, the counselling service, the upper secondary school and the world of work, as well as assess whether career counsellor should be a separate job category in schools

• to strengthen the further education offering for counsellors and set competence requirements for the counselling service

• to reduce the number of grades in the subject Norwegian so that there is one grade in Norwegian written and one grade in Norwegian oral in lower and upper secondary school

• to facilitate accelerated schooling so that a greater number of students have the opportunity to accelerate individual subjects or school years

• to facilitate a greater number of academies at the lower secondary level, such as vocational or scientific lower secondary school academies, so that the lower secondary school offering becomes more diverse and pupils at the lower secondary level can immerse themselves in different areas

• to trial time-limited level choices in the core subjects at lower secondary school so that the students encounter academic challenges that reflect their academic level

• to increase voluntary work training in lower secondary school through weekly placement programmes in companies in collaboration with industry and commerce.

• to introduce the possibility of a voluntary 11th grade after 10th grade on the basis of a model from Oslo and Drammen

Upper Secondary School

Three out of four students who begin upper secondary education graduate within five years. The proportion has increased in recent years. This is good for society and good for the individual. At the same time, we know that the consequences of not completing and passing upper secondary school will be even greater in the future. Høyre therefore believes that one of our most important tasks in the future is to ensure that more students complete and graduate from upper secondary education.

The design of the offering in upper secondary school must take into account that students have different requirements. Høyre believes that we are in need of a variety of different measures to catch those who drop out of school. It must be possible to facilitate teaching in different places and with different facilities, both academically and socially.

• for 5000 more students to complete upper secondary school per year by 2025, and that by 2030 at least nine out of ten students starting upper secondary education will complete and graduate

• to keep the national absence limit of ten percent

• to introduce models for free choice of school in all counties

• to agree to upper secondary school academies that focus on science, language and economics, on the basis of the elite sports academy model

• that upper secondary schools enter into collaboration with institutions within higher education to ensure that students who wish to do so are allowed to take subjects at a higher level

• to work in consultation with the students so that the graduation celebrations are moved to after the final written exam

• to allow schools to experiment in filming oral exams to ensure students a genuine opportunity to appeal

• to have a pilot project in which the school year is divided into terms and give the students instruction in a smaller number of subjects in each term

• to facilitate better collaboration between the school counselling service, Nav and the career guidance centres to enable them to reach more students

• to ensure that students receive the number of teaching hours they are entitled to by clarifying requirements for what a teaching hour is, and by taking into account the expected loss of hours in the planning

• to retain the opportunity to establish and operate publicly funded independent schools as an alternative to state schools

• to ensure the right of pupils and apprentices to assess the teaching and learning environment in schools and companies offering apprenticeships

• to strengthen the follow-up of students who are at risk of dropping out of school, ensure the opportunity to repeat and receive instruction in subjects that they have not passed, and ensure that those who drop out of upper secondary education before they have completed total competence will receive confirmation of partial competence

• to give students with low grades the right to a more adapted and varied education, and for the county municipality and the municipality to have a duty to offer this in order to ensure that a greater number of people complete upper secondary education

• for students who have a grade of 1 or 2 in Norwegian, mathematics or English to be offered extra tuition in these subjects when they go on to the next grade, on the basis of a combination class model

• to facilitate better exchange and internationalisation in upper secondary education, both within university preparatory and vocational education programmes

Craft and vocational training

More and more people are choosing vocational subjects, gaining apprenticeships and graduating with trade certificates. This is a positive development that Høyre wishes to fortify in the years to come. At the same time, we see that the drop-out rate in the vocational programmes is still higher than in university preparatory programmes. Høyre therefore wishes to further develop and strengthen the vocational subjects so that a greater number of people complete and graduate. Norway risks a shortfall of 90,000 skilled workers by 2035. Therefore, Høyre wants continue to promote vocational training to ensure an effective and relevant vocational education for the students and the professional skills the country needs.

• to continue to increase the apprenticeship subsidy and aim for it to eventually be at the same level as the cost of a vocational school place

• to increase the equipment grant to the most expensive branches of study

• to introduce an endowment-boosting scheme to ensure better and more up-to-date equipment in upper secondary schools, and introduce requirements for a minimum standard for equipment developed in collaboration between schools and industry and commerce

• to implement a pilot scheme where the state, county and industry collaborate on the sharing of advanced equipment between several schools using a mobile unit that can serve several schools in a county/region

• to support alternative training arenas and consider schemes where a greater proportion of vocational training can be taken through operators without in-house production

• to strengthen education in the final year of upper secondary school for students who have not been offered an apprenticeship, and consider extending this to two years to make room for a design that is more practical and relevant to working life

• that the design of study programmes is to a greater extent determined on the basis of the needs of and available apprenticeships in industry and commerce, and that the role of the vocational boards shall be strengthened and their recommendations given decisive weight

• to make demands that all county municipalities must be offered competence in vocational, technical, and specialist studies

• to bring down the dropout rate on the extension programme by assessing grade requirements for going from vocational subjects to extension programmes

• to further develop more educational courses (the vocational route) that provide greater developmental opportunities and a better transition between trade certificates and higher education

• to evaluate apprenticeship funds in which all enterprises in industries for which trade or craft certificates have been developed shall contribute financially to cover part of the expenses for training apprentices in companies

• to look at the possibility of providing vocational students an education that results in a trade certificate in English, based on a model from the International Baccalaureate programme

• to give more students the opportunity to combine vocational subjects and elite sports

• to strengthen training in minor craft subjects in order to uphold cultural heritage

• to give more people the opportunity to combine vocational subjects and science subjects

• to ensure that more men are recruited into the health and care professions and build on the “Men in Health” model

• to implement a skill boost in special education at the municipal and county level, and ensure effective interdisciplinary collaboration between schools, the school health service and the school psychology service

Digitalisation in schools

Technological development is occurring rapidly and society is becoming increasingly digital. For Høyre it is important that children and young people learn to deal with and live with the challenges and opportunities that exist in a digital society. Students are different and have differing needs. By investing in digital solutions, it is easier to adapt teaching to students and contribute to better inclusion and improved learning outcomes. The precondition for this is that teachers and school principals have a high level of digital competence and good opportunities for continuing and further education in the pedagogical use of digital tools.

• to continue stepping up technological educations and creating more student places in ICT and technology subjects

• to further develop the concept of digital skills and contribute to better education about technology and the use of technology through the updating of professional skills

• to continue the Technological Schoolbag programme to stimulate the innovation of learning resources, materials and projects within technology aimed especially at vocational education, science and the green shift

• to use digital tools including virtualisation and simulation technology to strengthen teaching, especially in vocational subjects and vocational schools

• to facilitate the smart use of computer game-based teaching in schools

• to develop a shorter online competence-enhancing course in programming for teachers of science and mathematics and include technology and coding in more subjects in compulsory schooling

• to provide a greater number of teachers with further education in the pedagogical use of ICT, train more teacher specialists in ICT, and fortify digital competence in teacher education

• to let the individual principal decide the rules for mobile phone use at his or her school

• to have good digital learning platforms and routines that make it possible to have good digital teaching if it is not possible to carry out ordinary teaching

• to use technology and digital home-schooling to reduce dropout rates from school and education, for example by following up students with a high rate of absence due to school refusal or physical or mental illness

• to facilitate competition for the development of digital teaching aids in schools in order to improve quality and a greater number of providers

• to increase the use of module-based education in upper secondary school in order to facilitate decentralised and flexible education

Skilled teachers and school leaders

Norwegian schools have a great many academically strong, committed and motivated teachers and leaders who work every day to provide students with the knowledge they need. The teacher is the one factor that matters most to students’ learning. Høyre wants to maintain its Promise to Teachers and give a greater number of teachers the opportunity for continuing and further education.

Building a better school is a team effort. A school of knowledge presupposes that the teachers and school leaders are able to find good solutions together for the benefit of the students, and ensures that all students are seen and heard. We will continue the fight against unnecessary bureaucracy and reporting requirements in schools so that the employees have time to prioritise the most important thing, namely adapted training for each individual student.

• to aim for all teachers to have a specialisation in the subjects they teach

• to maintain the competence requirements for teachers who are going to teach Norwegian, mathematics and English, and consider introducing competence requirements in several more subjects

• to retain the admission requirements to enter teacher education with the aim of introducing requirements for grade 4 in Norwegian and English

• to continue the record-breaking commitment to the further education of teachers

• to continue to eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy and reporting requirements in schools so that teachers can concentrate on good teaching, peer collaboration and adapted teaching

• to continue the work of establishing new career paths at schools, for example by pursuing new job categories such as a specialist teacher, lead teacher and lead lecturer at compulsory schooling and upper secondary school, respectively

• to strengthen the focus on professional digital competence in teacher education and the continuing and further education of teachers

• to ensure that more principals are offered continuing and further education and strengthen their ability to demonstrate pedagogical leadership through freeing up the amount of time they spend on administrative work

• to continue the focus on the principal education, for example by making principal education a permanent education programme

• to trial new schemes to ensure a greater number of qualified teachers in schools, for example by enabling school staff to gain additional skills and teach at more levels or by getting more school staff to complete teacher education while on the job

• to help bring more occupational groups into the school to build up a team around students and free up time for teachers to prioritise their core tasks

• to introduce a scholarship scheme that makes it easier for skilled workers to train as vocational teachers

• to facilitate for upper secondary education, including the study specialisation fields, being able to collaborate more with other institutions, business and alternative education arenas for greater specialisation, mastery and implementation

• to strengthen the supervision scheme for newly qualified teachers in order to help more people stay in the profession longer

• to facilitate for teachers trained before the requirement for a master’s degree receiving an offer and an arrangement for taking a master’s degree during their employment, as an alternative to traditional further education

Good school owners

Høyre believes that all children deserve a good school, regardless of where they live. School owners must have good systems for quality assurance, quality development and quality control. The supervision carried out in schools must place greater emphasis on the pupils’ learning outcomes and the quality of the school. It is important that schools and municipalities chart students’ learning and well-being throughout the school year and use the results to improve teaching and students’ dayto-day life at school.

• to expand the national scheme with a national “supervision corps” that follows up school owners and schools with persistently weak results, and ensure that support is provided to municipalities and county municipalities that fall below a minimum level of quality

• that school owners must map learning outcomes throughout the school year and ensure full transparency about results at school level

• that school owners must have a good flow of information about pupils during all transitions to new schools during the entire school career, for example by conducting their own transition tests

• to introduce a new national test in writing and replace the 3rd grade mapping test in reading with a national test

• to provide municipalities and schools with guidance on how to analyse and use national tests to improve teaching for students

• to ensure transparency around the results of national tests

• to require school owners to provide elementary school students with an offer five days a week

• to strengthen knowledge of the school owner’s role in the competence and research environments and stimulate the sharing of best practice

• to tighten up the legal requirement for the municipalities and the county municipalities’ handling of annual reports on conditions at schools by expanding its content, participation in its preparation, and requirements regarding the school owner’s administrative procedures.

Higher vocational education – technical colleges

Technical colleges are an important part of the educational offering in Norway. Many skilled workers both want and need competence beyond craft certificates, and working life to a large extent demands such competence. Technical colleges are also important in achieving the goal of more people being able to learn throughout life. For Høyre it is important to continue the work of strengthening technical colleges so that more people are aware of the opportunities a vocational school education provides.

• to develop a strategy for higher vocational education with the goal of improved quality, increased capacity and clearer responsibility for offering relevant continuing and further education

• to ensure the equal treatment of public and private technical colleges

• to facilitate exchanges and internationalisation in the technical college sector

• to ensure that the criteria for approval of technical colleges contribute to a high level of quality and are founded on current knowledge and practice in the trades

• to ensure that the counselling service in compulsory schooling, upper secondary school, Nav and the regional career centres strengthen their competence in technical college educations in order to contribute towards the improved visibility of and recruitment into the technical colleges

• to ensure quality in the implementation of technical college educations and consider the increased use of external examiners and national examination boards

Higher education and research

If Norway is to succeed in the face of international competition in the future, we must invest more in research and education. In Norway we should have high-quality research and educational environments, and Høyre will contribute to strengthening these environments. In order to achieve this goal we must continue our efforts to internationalise and commercialise research results.

A good education should give students an effective starting point in their encounter with working life. We want to do more to ensure that more students complete their studies and that they are included to a greater degree in the academic environment in which they are studying. Digital solutions are also making education and skills far more accessible to people across the country. Høyre will work to ensure that even more study programmes are also offered digitally, decentralised and flexible. In addition, a greater number of lectures and learning tools should be made available to anyone who wishes to make use of them, regardless of whether they are enrolled as students at the relevant institution.

• to continue the principle of free higher education and continue to ensure equal access and the right to higher education

• to reform the admissions system to higher education with a view to significantly reducing the number of additional points and ensuring that more people compete on equal terms

• to establish a digital platform featuring an overview of all education programmes on offer, and give the world of work the opportunity to request relevant services

• to review and adjust the funding system of educational institutions with the aim of raising the quality of teaching and research, contributing to more continuing and further education and ensuring that a greater number of students graduate

• to introduce a tuition fee for students coming from outside the EEA area and Switzerland

• to ensure Norwegian participation in the EU’s research and innovation programmes and work to ensure that Norwegian communities are in strong competition for funding, with the goal that good Norwegian applications raise more money from the schemes than Norway pays in

• to implement the long-term plan for higher education and research and create a new long-term plan in 2022

• to fortify the focus on research of particularly high quality, such as Free project support, and further develop schemes that support outstanding environments within education (SFU), research (SFF), innovation (SFI) and renewable energy and environmental technology (FME)

• to strengthen the focus on the commercialisation of research results

• to continue a high level of public research efforts to achieve the goal that total research investments should account for 3% of GDP by 2030, of which 2% should consist of privately funded research

• to stimulate more research in business and industry and closer collaboration between research and business, among other things through the SkatteFunn scheme, User-driven Innovation Arena (BIA) and other business-oriented programmes from the Research Council

• to further develop the institute strategy to ensure a continued strong institute sector that contributes to increased value creation

• to increase efforts towards open-access publishing to make knowledge available to a greater number of people

• to step up the focus on Centres of Excellence in Teaching (SFU) with the aim of strengthening the quality of education and educational practice

• to stimulate the creation of a greater number of honours programmes without it coming at the expense of standard study offerings

• to make it easier to travel on exchange visits for both students and academic staff

• to facilitate for international top universities being able to make digital education programmes available to Norwegian students in Norway

• for universities and colleges to have to be fully digitalised by 2025, and introduce requirements for public universities to publish lectures free of charge

• to follow up the strategy to develop more flexible and decentralised education programmes

• to facilitate for a greater number of students being able to take subjects during the summer

• to trial tri-semester models, primarily on master’s programmes, where the study period will last for 15 months over three semesters, with summer vacation between semesters 1 and 2

• to increase student support for those students who wish to take full degrees quicker than in the standard time

• to allow educational institutions to a greater extent to set their own admission requirements

• to increase the income limit for the State Educational Loan Fund’s grant and loan scheme

• that the resit examination must be completed outside the ordinary examination period, at a time that does not prevent the student from completing the study in the standard time

• to introduce a fixed scheme of two examiners at exams, with grades as an expression of assessment

Student welfare

Study time is an important part of many people’s lives. It is a time to learn, but also a time to become independent and get to know new people. Høyre wants to make it easier for more students to complete the degree they have started. At a time when more people are studying longer, it should also be possible for people to have children during their studies. Høyre wants the study programmes to better facilitate this.

• to continue to increase student support above price and wage growth

• to work to ensure that more students have the opportunity to write bachelor’s and master’s theses on the request of the public sector, private business or organisations

• to introduce internships as an integral part of the study programme in a greater number of study programmes and introduce a scheme for internships with the state

• to ensure a sufficient number of internships and that the quality of these internships is good, through clear expectations from the universities and colleges about better organisation and follow-up, as well as to consider legislating the municipalities’ responsibility to offer internships for education programmes in health and social science

• to facilitate for more people being able to have children during their studies by offering greater flexibility in their studies, building more student housing for families and further increasing student support for students with children

• to build and upgrade more student housing to ensure an adequate coverage rate

• to give Norwegian students abroad the opportunity to work alongside their studies without losing their membership of the National Insurance Scheme

• to look at the possibility of having two GPs at one time for students and pupils who live in a municipality other than where they are recorded as living in the civil register

• to increase the conversion grant for students who have children during their studies

• for students with disabilities to have to be given the opportunity for more flexible educational courses, housing support adapted to special needs and a better transitional scheme for personal assistance when moving to a study municipality

• to increase the State Educational Loan Fund’s loan period for students with children up to 10 years

Health

The hospitals and the specialist health service – a health service for patients

Høyre wants a health service for patients. This means that no decisions about you in the health service will be made without your input. This concerns how each individual patient is dealt with in the health service, but also about the patients being involved at all levels when decisions are being made about how the health service should be organised. User-friendly IT solutions are key to patients receiving information about their own health, appointments and check-ups, as well as about the existing health services.

A health service for patients means that the quality of the treatment must be high, that the waiting time must be as short as possible, and that the patient must be heard in every sector of the health service. Patients should be met with knowledge and respect. Good information flow and communication between the patient, the municipal health service, the GP and the specialist health service is important to ensure this. There will continue to be a decentralised hospital structure in Norway that provides equal and effective treatment throughout the country.

• to ensure safe hospitals and better health services for everyone, no matter where in the country they live

• to reduce waiting times during the care pathway and for treatments and examinations

• to give patients more freedom of choice by expanding the system of free choice of treatment

• to make it easier for patients to understand their rights in their meeting with the health service

• to provide chronically ill people with more comprehensive follow-up and treatment

• to strengthen rehabilitation work and improve the transition from treatment to rehabilitation

• to increase the use of private contract specialists, with greater authority and better division of labour between hospitals, outpatient clinics and contract specialists

• to continue to focus on health and welfare co-operation where private and non-profit enterprises contribute towards giving a greater number of people access to treatment on behalf of the public sector

• to develop more package processes to give patients more comprehensive treatment, and especially to prioritise feminine illness in this work

• to make everyday life easier and provide better support for families with children in need of complex services by implementing the Equal Status Reform

• to continue the focus on digitalisation of hospitals and health services as well as reduce unnecessary reporting and red tape and simplify daily life in hospitals

• to facilitate the use of new technology to reduce the risk of infection and infection at Norwegian hospitals

• better cooperation between the municipalities and the specialist health service

• to ensure a safe and competent childbirth programme throughout the country

• to ensure that mothers with more than 90 minutes traveling distance are accompanied by a midwife, as they are entitled to request

• to ensure better and long-term follow-up of children with serious illnesses

• to develop better services and create new jobs through investment in health technology and the health industry

• to ensure easier access to and better utilisation of health data and biobanks

• to facilitate for the health clusters becoming the engine for restructuring and technology transfer in industry and commerce

• for the health trusts to cooperate with the health industry by establishing new hospitals and health clusters

• to open up for specialist nurses to offer treatment in private contract specialist practices on an equal footing with the public sector

• to ensure better and more uniform nutritional follow-up for elderly and vulnerable patient groups

Public health

Høyre wants it to be easy to make good choices for one’s own health and lifestyle. Each of us should have the greatest possible freedom and responsibility to shape our own lives. We will pursue a public health policy that is based as much as possible on positive tools with rewards and incentives. It is particularly important to ensure the right of children, young people and vulnerable groups to live in healthpromoting environments and to ensure everyone the right to protection against harm and addiction. Good living conditions, good health, quality of life and well-being are all connected. A good school that ensures that as many people as possible complete upper secondary education is the most important basis for good health, both for the individual and for society. Public health work must be adapted to people in all phases of life and help reduce social disparities. Høyre wants to work for reduced use of tobacco.

Loneliness is the great public health challenge of our time. We can all make an effort, and Høyre wants to lead a broad community effort to reduce loneliness for people of all ages.

• to continue the collaboration with industry and commerce to facilitate healthy products in the grocery stores and easy-to-understand labelling of healthy alternatives

• to introduce qualification requirements for those who perform cosmetic procedures

• to increase the use of the “green prescription” exercise programmes

• to increase the use of physical activity in treatments where relevant

• to contribute to the development of separate plans to fortify public health in the municipalities

• to continue efforts to reduce unwanted pregnancies and abortions

• to introduce a differentiated sugar tax so that it reflects the amount of added sugar to a greater extent

• to conduct more research more on preventive health work, also through Research Council guidelines

• to use new technology such as health apps and reminders to reach out to more people with information about good health choices

• to establish a knowledge unit with specific responsibility for the field of public health

• to strengthen cooperation with the food industry to reduce the sugar, salt and fat content in food and drink and increase sales of fruit and vegetables

• to develop an action plan to reduce loneliness and tools to measure the incidence of loneliness

• to intensify research on loneliness and increase knowledge about measures that counteract loneliness

• to strengthen cooperation between the public sector, the business sector and voluntary groups and organisations to prevent loneliness

• to introduce requirements that healthcare professionals have relevant vaccines

• to ensure women better follow-up after miscarriage

• to introduce free choice of nursing home where the conditions facilitate it

Municipal health services

The primary health care service is the foundation for prevention of and early intervention against sickness. The foundations of a good health service are laid locally. For Høyre, children and young people are a high priority and we will continue to focus on an effective health service for children, young people and their families through the public health clinics and school medical services. The GP is one of the cornerstones of our health service. The GP system must ensure the entire population an accessible, competent and modern primary care service, regardless of place of residence, social belonging or personal finances. The GP system of the future must offer interdisciplinary follow-up of people with complex needs.

• to introduce prostate screening for men at the same level as mammography screening for women

• to ensure a safe GP system, provide for effective recruitment and reduce the decline in GP numbers

• to maintain the commercial enterprise as the main business form for GPs

• to provide a better and more coherent treatment service to patients through the establishment of primary health care teams

• to improve walk-in clinic services throughout the country

• to secure the cancer care service in the municipalities and implement “home package process”

• to further develop an interdisciplinary health clinic and school medical service that ensures good access to help and support for children and young people

• to strengthen the midwife service in the municipalities, for example by giving midwives a greater responsibility to ensure women’s good health, where midwives contribute through greater responsibility for pregnancy check-ups, birth control and family counselling, health controls and sampling

• to improve maternity care and follow-up services

• to strengthen the municipalities’ rehabilitation and habilitation services

• to open up for health nurses and midwives with relevant training to order birth control of any type even for women under 16 years of age

• to strengthen the scheme for general practitioners in specialisation (ALIS)

Living a full life – lust for life for the elderly

More of us are getting older, and the elderly are living longer. We must therefore make sure the health service and elderly care are prepared. Increased competence, changes in how we organise elderly care, and increased use of welfare technology will contribute to better quality and increased freedom of choice for the elderly. Høyre wants to facilitate for the elderly being able to live at home as long as possible, and to continue the work of implementing the “Living a full life” quality reform in all the country’s municipalities. In a health service for patients, freedom of choice is a value in itself. We must therefore welcome all public, non-profit and private actors who want to provide effective services to the elderly people in society.

• to implement the “Living a full life” quality reform in all the country’s municipalities

• for all municipalities to have a plan to create an elderly-friendly society

• to give more of the country’s elderly increased freedom of choice by introducing a standardised set of rules that the municipalities can use to allow for freedom of choice in home services and home nursing

• to introduce a right of exchange for elderly people living in nursing homes or receiving home-help services, which they can make use of if they are not satisfied with the offer they are receiving

• to introduce a legal requirement that the municipal council shall prepare an annual report on the state of the health and care service in which user surveys, objective quality indicators and user satisfaction are measured

• to give more elderly people the opportunity to live at home longer, including through the use of new welfare technology, and to increase research efforts in the field

• to establish a subsidy scheme for senior housing in areas with a weak housing market

• to ensure a more dementia-friendly community and build more dementia villages

• to use the holistic approach of the hospice philosophy as a basis for the provision of services in palliative care for people of all ages, and at the same time facilitate for more people being able to die safely at home

• to reform home-based services by merging, for example, practical assistance in the home and home nursing, and letting these services be provided by permanent teams that ensure both greater flexibility and that the elderly and their relatives have fewer carers to deal with

• to ensure that older married people and partners can reside and live together in nursing homes

• to intensify the work with systematic nutrition and ensure that food, meals and nutrition are included in all preventive, treatment, habilitation and rehabilitative work with the elderly.

A strongly professional health and care service

Høyre wishes to continue the focus on skills development, leadership development, and research and professional development across the entire health and care service. In the years ahead, Norway will need greater and greater numbers of sharp minds and skilled hands in the health services. The resulting high quality of the health care will ensure the right treatment at the right time and creates a sense of security and dignity for the patients. A sense of security and dignity must be created every day in encounters between those who need health care and those who provide it. Høyre wants to continue to pursue an active skills policy in the health sector that safeguards vital recruitment while at the same time retaining skilled health workers in the sector. We will continue the work of safeguarding effective leaders across the entire health service.

• to increase the number of interns in the health sciences and make better use of their competence across the entire health and care service

• to continue the work of ensuring high competence in the municipal health services through Competence Promotion 2025

• to facilitate for medical and nursing education also providing training in health technology and innovation processes

• to train a greater number of clinically advanced nurses authorised as specialists to strengthen the health services for patients with chronic and complex disorders

• to offer continuing and further education to a greater number of employees in the health service

• to promote a culture of openness and good leadership in the health and care services and focus on the training of leaders

• to strengthen research on women’s health

• to strengthen research on dementia and brain disorders

• to establish a headache centre in Norway

• to increase health professionals’ knowledge about sexual health and sexually transmitted diseases

• to intensify research in the municipal health services, including care for the elderly

Relatives

Relatives are an important resource and should have an influence on the help offered to those they love. Relatives can have a variety of roles, as relief caregivers, care providers and decision-makers during the treatment process. Høyre wants to acknowledge relatives as the resource they are, both for those they help to care for and for the health service as a whole. The health services have a special responsibility to take care of children and young people in their positions as relatives.

• to ensure that all municipalities have a strategy for relatives

• to give relatives recognition for the important work they do

• to allow relatives greater influence when important decisions are being made

• to permit relatives easy access to information, assistance, training, advice and guidance

• to provide relatives with more flexible relief-care services

• to take relatives’ own health seriously in order to prevent people from getting sick from their role as relatives

Medicines

We are constantly gaining access to more and better medicines that make it possible to live longer, have an increased quality of life and also recover faster. Høyre believes that medicine policy should ensure good quality in treatments with medicines. Medicines must have the lowest possible price, people must have equal and rapid access to medicines, and we must facilitate research and innovation. These goals must always be seen in context.

• to introduce an electronic system that makes it easy for healthcare professionals to see which medicines a patient is already using (list of patient medicines)

• to strengthen research on vaccines and facilitate increased development and production in Norway

• to increase knowledge about vaccines to ensure the highest possible coverage

• to conduct a greater number of clinical studies in Norway

• to facilitate for a greater number patients’ having access to experimental treatment

• to ensure that pharmaceutical policy, including the procurement of medicines, contributes to research and innovation

• to take a leading role internationally in the work of preventing and reducing antibiotic resistance

• to strengthen the role of pharmacies in ensuring the correct use of medicines

• to expand the HPV vaccine call-up programme for boys

• to further develop the vaccine programme and introduce vaccine programmes for adults

• to intensify research on postpartum depression

• to ensure an improved follow-up and support system in connection with pregnancy and childbirth to prevent and treat postpartum depression

Mental health

Good mental health is important for a good quality of life. For those who are struggling with their mental health, efforts must therefore be made as early as possible. The coronavirus pandemic has led to increased loneliness, and many have experienced psychological challenges as a result of the social lockdown of society. At the same time, many people have experienced insecurity, including work-related insecurity. One of Høyre’s most important initiatives will continue to be the prioritisation of mental health. We must also prevent mental health problems from occurring by preventing bullying and social isolation among children, young people and adults.

• to have a goal of zero suicides

• to increase research into the reasons why many young people experience mental health problems

• to continue to ensure easily accessible help for those who experience mental health problems and work to ensure that more young people in particular learn to better handle challenges in everyday life, through, for example, life skills in school

• to further develop the health clinic service so that children and young people also receive an improved digital health nurse offering

• to ensure that all municipalities have a visible and accessible lowthreshold service

• to bring expertise on mental health and suicide prevention among health professionals up to date

• to introduce the right to assessment and a meeting with a professional within three weeks by referring young patients to a child and adolescent psychiatric polyclinic or district psychiatric centre

• for children and young people to be given a high-quality assessment quickly so that they receive the right interdisciplinary follow-up on the basis of their needs

• to examine and facilitate for an increased degree of division of tasks and the establishment of specialised offers to ensure that the best methods become available to a greater number of people

• to strengthen psychiatry and differentiate treatment methods more according to differing individual need

• to ensure that children and young people whose condition has improved after one year in municipal mental health care receive a new assessment of their treatment programme

• to ensure that child welfare institutions have their own psychologist in order to be able to offer children and young people the help they need

• to ensure a good digital mental health service with goals for prevention and early treatment of mental disorders

• for Nav to integrate help for mental illness and financial difficulties in its follow-up

• to further develop labour market measures and ensure that Nav uses external suppliers to a greater extent to ensure diversity in the help offered to young people who are struggling with their mental health

• to collaborate with NGOs that offer help and support to people struggling with mental health challenges

• to continue to develop ACT, FACT and FACTung teams across the country for effective outreach, concurrent, and general services for people suffering severe mental illness and drug addiction

• to facilitate a sufficient number of round-the-clock places for children and young people with severe mental illness

• to improve packages for mental health to ensure better patient care

• to consider increasing the current minimum time of three weeks in a residential institution for persons who have been committed to mental health care

An effective and dignified substance abuse care service

Høyre wishes to pursue a drug policy that aims to prevent drug problems. Høyre will work to limit the negative harmful effects that result from drugs and alcohol. We will uphold the ban on the use and possession of drugs, but Høyre wants people with substance abuse problems to receive help, treatment and follow-up rather than punishment. The desire to save lives and ensure dignity is the foundation of our policy.

There are too many deaths from overdose, especially following rehabilitation or imprisonment. It is therefore crucial that follow-up care in substance abuse care is prioritised through collaboration with non-profit and private actors with expertise in the field. The specialist health service must work more closely with the municipalities to ensure that the user continues to a safe and drug-free environment after discharge.

• not to legalise the use and possession of drugs, but implement drug reform so that people who are arrested for use and possession of drugs for personal use are met with help, treatment and follow-up rather than punishment

• to strengthen follow-up care in substance abuse care through collaboration with private operators, social entrepreneurs and non-profit actors so that a greater number of people have the opportunity for work training and other activities after detoxification, rehabilitation and imprisonment

• to ensure that treatment for drug addiction is included in the right to free choice of treatment

• to further reduce waiting times and ensure a better transition from completion of treatment to follow-up

• to have improved interdisciplinary collaboration on treatment and followup care between mental health care, drug treatment and somatic health services. Follow-up care must ensure that the individual is able to maintain control of their own life

• to strengthen preventive work aimed in particular at children and young people in order to reduce the risk of harmful drug use

• to help a greater number of addicts to abstinence from drugs during imprisonment

• to collaborate with private detoxification services so that drug addicts can receive services that suit their needs

• to introduce a goal of zero overdose deaths

• to ensure that the prescription of opioids is highly restricted and strictly controlled, and that people who receive opioids on prescription receive good follow-up to prevent addiction

• to pursue a knowledge-based drug policy, both for prevention, treatment and follow-up care

• to continue the work with package processes as a quality reform in drug treatment

• to strengthen the treatment programme for young people through e.g. the establishment of TSB-ung and FACT-ung

• to reform the pharmaceutically assisted detoxification scheme with a view to improving follow-up of somatic and mental health for users of pharmaceutically assisted detoxification

• to contribute to more of our larger cities establishing street clinics under the guidance of non-profit organisations

• to contribute to more low-threshold health services that run outreach activities in drug environments

• to work for a more tailored housing programme for people with substance abuse problems

• to ensure that a greater number of drug addicts get into work through the expansion of the individual pension saving scheme

• for all municipalities to have to develop their own strategies for relatives that ensure effective follow-up and help for relatives

Biotechnology

All people have an inherent and inviolable intrinsic value, regardless of characteristics, abilities and level of function. Høyre is positive towards gene therapy and gene editing being able to provide improved medical treatment for a number of diseases and conditions. Høyre will not allow gene therapy and gene editing that has no medical purpose other than to improve human abilities and traits. Gene therapy in gametes, embryos or fertilised eggs, which involves lasting changes in hereditary dispositions, has unknown implications for human evolution and must therefore be banned on the basis of the precautionary principle.

• to apply the precautionary principle to issues related to biotechnology

• to stimulate the further development of personalised medicine

• for the current law on abortion to remain

• to allow private sector non-invasive prenatal testing, in line with professional guidelines, for all pregnant women, and ensure that pregnant women who are entitled to foetal diagnostics are offered a public sector non-invasive prenatal test

• to ensure a modern and internationally competitive regulation of biotechnology, based on an ethically sound framework

• to intensify research into biotechnology

Health preparedness and infection control

Høyre believes that health preparedness should be good enough to protect the population’s life and health, and provide medical treatment and care for the affected persons. The coronavirus pandemic has shown us how important it is for society to be prepared for potential health crises. Clear responsibilities, clear notification and reporting routines, and effective cooperation between stakeholders in crises are of particular importance.

• to create a separate reserve force associated with the health service that can be deployed in a pandemic or health crisis

• to ensure that the health service is always prepared for new crises such as pandemics, epidemics or the aftermath of other disasters

• to provide sufficient production capacity or stock of necessary medical equipment and raw materials for important medicines for a possible crisis situation, in partnership with the health industry

• to ensure access to necessary infection control equipment in all parts of the health service

• to ensure good trade relations and contingency agreements with other countries to ensure fast and secure access to necessary health equipment in any crisis situation

• to ensure sufficient intensive care capacity

• to facilitate increased production of emergency equipment in Norway and our nearest neighbouring countries

• to ensure safe blood deliveries through objective donor criteria based on lifestyle, not sexual orientation and disability

• to take a leading role internationally in the work of increasing the production of active ingredients and medicines in our part of the world

Dental health

Great progress has been made in Norwegian dental health over the last thirty years. Our dental health today is good. Høyre wants to continue the current scheme with self-employed dentists, free dentist treatment until the age of 18, and reduced prices up to the age of 20.

• to continue the current organisation of the dental health service

• to continue the scheme of free dentist treatment until the age of 18 and reduced prices up to the age of 20

• to provide good dental health services and good public support schemes for vulnerable groups

• not to provide public support for dental services that have purely cosmetic purposes

• to introduce free choice of treatment in the dental health service for people whose dental care is covered by the public sector

Value creation to go up as emissions come down

The route to a low-emission society

Problems with the climate are the biggest challenge of our time. Norway must be a low-emission society by 2050. Høyre wants to make use of the market in the service of the environment in order to make it profitable to implement effective climate policy and contribute to creating growth and profitable green jobs. Høyre wants to continue and strengthen the polluter-pays principle by using the system of tax and duties – it will pay to make climate-friendly choices. We will contribute to the development of new environmental technology and use the power of public-sector procurement to facilitate green and innovative solutions that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

• to continue a binding collaboration with the EU on emission reductions that ensures predictability and equal conditions for competition for Norwegian companies as for European companies

• to support and influence the EU’s work to ensure that imports from countries without equivalent carbon pricing pay a carbon tax

• to take the initiative to simplify Norwegian and European rules for the certification of building materials in order to increase and simplify reuse

• to work for international, standardised requirements for green obligations

• to ensure full employment within the framework of a zero-emission society

• to continue to increase in the CO2 tax but to compensate for this by reducing other taxes and duties

• to increase annual tree planting by ten million trees by 2030 through the planting of native tree species

• to shift the bulk of Norwegian aid towards climate measures in developing countries

• to continue investment in rainforests provided that it contributes to verifiable reductions in emissions

• to support the introduction of an EU taxonomy

Climate-friendly business and industry

Høyre believes that climate policy must be formulated in collaboration with business and industry. A business-friendly climate policy means that the business community is stimulated to choose climate-friendly solutions, in that we make it expensive to pollute. Norway currently leads the field in areas such as the production of clean hydrogen, renewable energy, carbon capture and storage (CCS), shipping and green data centres. This is competence we must build on.

• to implement the Langskip project for carbon capture and storage (CCS), facilitate a value chain for CO2 and contribute to further CCS projects being implemented in Norwegian industry

• to continue and strengthen Enova as an instrument of climate policy

• to use the tax system to stimulate increased energy efficiency and recycling in buildings, such as residual heat and heat recovery from industry

• to facilitate the production of batteries in Norway

• to develop the regulations for packaging so that source sorting and recycling becomes easier and more motivating in all stages from producer to recycling plant

• to study a product-disposal law for manufacturers, importers and distributors so that goods can be donated rather than being disposed of

• to continue the CO2 compensation scheme

• to stimulate climate research in the business community through Skattefunn

• to strengthen energy research programmes in the Research Council

• to establish a research centre for environmentally friendly energy for the sustainable use of oil and gas products in the form of, for example, hydrogen and ammonia

• to set requirements for the use of hydrogen in public tenders for ferry routes in Norway, where appropriate, in order to trigger a value chain for hydrogen production

• to implement a data centre strategy that will make it easier and more predictable to establish green data centres in Norway

• to carry out a pilot project on the basis of a model from the Danish Green Investment Fund, where the pilot will issue loans to green start-up companies going forwards

• to ensure predictable and stable framework conditions for renewable fuels and energy carriers

• to facilitate the large-scale production of advanced biofuels

• to reduce nitrous oxide emissions from fertiliser production

• to exploit the business potential of using CO2 as an input factor in industrial processes and establish a value chain for handling CO2 in industry

• to continue the investment in Nysnø climate investments

Energy

Norway is very rich in energy resources. Høyre wants to facilitate a secure and environmentally friendly energy supply in which the efficient and profitable development of renewable energy is a priority. Good, sustainable management of hydropower, wind power and other forms of renewable energy is necessary to safeguard the green shift. Norway is also one of the countries in the world that has earned the most from its sale of power and energy. Høyre wants to ensure that Norway will continue to be a leading energy nation which provides income to the community and contributes to the necessary transition to green energy.

• to review the current power grid development system to reduce construction time, remove bottlenecks and ensure a more efficient power grid that facilitates jobs and value creation

• to actively participate in cooperation between European countries to promote offshore wind as an energy source

• to facilitate the electrification of more fields on the Norwegian shelf

• to reduce emissions on the Norwegian shelf with a target of emission cuts of 50 percent by 2030

• to ensure a robust and efficient power grid that ensures affordable and secure access to electricity for consumers and industry

• to make it attractive for power companies to upgrade existing hydropower plants and facilitate the development of new ones

• to work for a more closely integrated European energy market, identify the need for more renewable energy in the European market and be positive towards the import and export of electrical power

• to review regulations and policy instruments in order to stimulate the use of solar energy

• to facilitate the sharing of green energy in neighbourhoods and consider how to make it easier to connect self-produced power to the power grid

• to make it easier for private individuals and companies to set up solar power systems by simplifying the regulations

• to clarify conflicts of interest and ensure predictability for offshore wind production on the Norwegian shelf

• to study a security co-operation between Norway and other Nordic countries

• to facilitate increased extraction of blue and green hydrogen and invest more in the development of the hydrogen infrastructure

• to pursue offshore wind as an industrial investment and grant the first licences as soon as the regulations and basis for decision making become available

Green transport

If we are to achieve our climate goals, emissions in the transport sector must be reduced. Høyre believes that it is possible to utilise new technological solutions to make transport more climate-friendly at the same time as people and companies gain increased mobility. We want to gradually phase out fossil energy in all transport and logistics by introducing measures that contribute to the rapid phasing in of low and zero-emission solutions.

• to follow up the Storting’s agreed objective of all new private vehicles being zero-emission vehicles by 2025

• to facilitate the development of rapid and ultra-rapid charging for electric cars throughout the country

• to step up support for emission-free commercial vehicles

• to introduce an environmentally differentiated tax on the purchase of emission-free engines for leisure boats

• to be an active driver for stricter emission requirements in international shipping

• to maintain and further develop our leading position as a green shipping nation and exploit it to create new, green assets

• to assess licensing requirements to ensure the most emission-free production possible

• to work for expanded charging infrastructure in housing cooperatives and apartment buildings as well as in parking facilities and parking for commercial buildings

• to focus on the development, green production and use of hydrogen and ammonia as energy carriers

• to facilitate the development of charging infrastructure for electric leisure boats

• to facilitate the increased use of advanced liquid biofuels and biogas in the transport sector

• for Norway to be the driving force and arena for the development, testing and early implementation of electrified aircraft and other low and zeroemission aircraft

• to adjust the airport tax system so that it becomes cheaper to travel with low or zero-emission aircraft

• to stimulate further green growth and competitiveness in the Norwegian maritime industry and facilitate increased exports of low and zeroemission technology in the maritime sector

• to gradually introduce prohibitions on emissions for ships as technology allows, and to work for an international prohibition on emissions

The circular economy

Green growth is a question of making it more profitable to create value in an environmentally friendly way. In the low-emission society of the future we must combine value creation with the sustainable production and consumption of goods and services. The improved utilisation of resources can provide major benefits for the environment, the economy and society. We must make use of the maximum life of the raw materials, and the total amount of waste must be reduced. Waste is a resource that can be reused, recycled and transformed into new resources. It creates jobs at the same time as providing a better environment and a growth in value creation for society.

• to introduce stricter penalties for littering and ensure the effective enforcement of the prohibition

• to expand producer responsibility and introduce a life-cycle perspective on the production, use and phasing out of products

• that life-cycle perspectives should form the basis for public procurement and investment

• to examine a CO2 labelling scheme for all goods so that consumers are able to make better-informed choices

• to set conversion requirements for biofuels in agricultural diesel

• to set environmental requirements that promote innovation, and examine different models to help make recycling and energy recovery and reuse more attractive to individuals and companies

• to change the basic tax on beverage packaging to a material tax that decreases with the increasing proportion of fossil-free plastic in the packaging

• to halve food waste in Norway by 2030 and intensify cooperation with industry and commerce on reducing food waste

• to create a comprehensive plan to stimulate the restoration and reuse of buildings and materials

• to set requirements for the reuse of waste heat from industry, waste incineration, data centres and hydrogen production

• to facilitate the greater use and reuse of building materials with the lowest possible greenhouse gas emissions

• to review the regulations with a view to removing unnecessary obstacles that make it difficult to use waste as a raw material

• to support the establishment of a greater number of plastic recycling plants in Norway

Local cuts in emissions

To achieve our climate goals, we must also make cuts to emissions locally. The municipalities are the ones who know their conditions and limitations best, and they are best equipped to provide input on what they are able to contribute to the battle for the climate. At the same time, the way we design the places we live is very important. Good spatial planning can prevent unnecessary use of cars and at the same time facilitate better public transport, footpaths and bicycle paths, and the more efficient transport of goods.

• to increase the municipalities’ scope to introduce for climate and environmental measures through Klimasats

• to develop separate climate budgets and reporting requirements for municipalities to oblige the municipalities to achieve their climate goals

• to give municipalities the opportunity to introduce zero-emission zones

• to consider giving the municipalities greater scope to eb able to prescribe local regulations to limit cruise tourism, for example based on the number of visitors or the climate and environmental standards of the ships

• to set requirements for sorting of waste in all municipalities and for all households, and to introduce minimum requirements for the sorting of waste types

Biodiversity

Høyre wants to preserve biodiversity through a combination of voluntary protection, sustainable use and nature-based value creation based on robust private property rights.

Marine ecosystems are changing as a result of climate change, pollution and overfishing. This is a challenge Høyre wants to address. Investing in offshore industries is an important contribution to solving these problems. Høyre’s ambition is for Norway to take a leading position internationally in developing new solutions that preserve ecosystems and strengthen long-term economic growth.

• to adopt a comprehensive national plan for the restoration and conservation of natural diversity and species diversity in line with international obligations

• to facilitate increased plant and forest production

• to set national requirements for meeting sustainability criteria across all bioenergy

• to further develop Norwegian marine management and marine spatial planning to facilitate the development of sustainable marine industry and commerce

• to map, quantify and integrate the natural marine assets in the national accounts to strengthen the basis for decisions and investments in the marine economy

• to systematically monitor climate change in marine ecosystems in order to take the necessary measures to reduce harmful effects

• to develop incentive schemes that make it profitable and attractive to develop technology and solutions that can help minimise or reverse pollution such as runoff from agriculture and plastic pollution

• for Norway to continue to play a leading role in the research, control, collection and management of marine waste

• for Norway to continue to take a leading role internationally in the fight against ocean plastics

• to prioritise projects that have low natural impacts and large climate benefits

• to facilitate increased innovation and the use of technology that leads to lower carbon footprints in agriculture, including investment in emissionfree agricultural machinery

• to follow up and, if necessary, intensify efforts in the climate agreement with the agricultural sector on reductions in emissions in order to achieve measurable results

• to introduce a ban on microplastics in cosmetics and household products

Transport

The transport solutions of the future

Høyre is concerned that we should have good, modern infrastructure that ensures that people have the opportunity to travel the way they want, and that companies can easily transport goods. A strong investment in transport is a question of building the whole of Norway for the future. Good roads, railways, public transport, sea transport and aviation give people the opportunity to live and create jobs in all parts of the country. We must make the distance between city and country and between different parts of the country shorter, and we must have cities which are to get around. Technological development in the transport sector is rapid and is making it possible to travel more, transport more and travel safer at the same time as polluting less. Høyre wants to take advantage of the opportunities provided to us by technology.

• to maintain the historical commitment to transport by following the National Transport Plan

• to facilitate for Norway to be able to become a testbed for the development of autonomous vehicles

• to facilitate for Norway to be able to become a pioneer in the development of new, secure and sustainable mobility solutions

• to establish a national strategy for innovation in transport technology with closer cooperation between authorities, transport operators, technology companies and research environments

• to prioritise maritime technology, including autonomous vessels

• to place greater emphasis on innovative public procurement in the transport sector that stimulates innovation and the development of new solutions

• to establish a national data strategy for the sharing of transport information across sectors and between public and private operators in a way that safeguards privacy and national interests

• to gradually reduce the benefits for electric vehicles, initially on the most expensive electric vehicles, but to make sure that it is always worthwhile to buy low and zero-emission vehicles

• to continue the zero-emission benefits for vans and heavy transport vehicles for longer than for private vehicles

More, better and safer roads

Høyre has increased the quality of national roads, and the number of people seriously injured or killed in road traffic accidents has been sharply reduced. Although a great deal of investment has been made in the construction of roads since 2013, there is still a great need to upgrade the road network in Norway. Roads are the lifeblood connecting regions and different parts of the country, for value creation in business, and for better day-to-day life for families. New and improved roads expand and connect the housing and labour market regions. A good road brings people closer together. This is a question of moving goods and people in a safe and efficient way and in a timely fashion. Høyre wants to implement measures that raise the quality and safety of the transport system, and to facilitate the upgrading of county roads.

• provide targeted support schemes to the counties to reduce maintenance backlogs on county roads

• strengthen the work with flood and landslide defences on exposed sections of roads and railways

• continue the focus on tunnel safety

• let Nye Veier AS (“New Roads”) build more roads faster and cheaper by increasing its scope and giving it responsibility for more projects

• adopt new technology for a new and sustainable road pricing system, which will safeguard privacy, be easy to understand, and be seen to be fair

• adapt the speed limits to the quality of the roads and be open to increasing speeds where possible

• ensure that foreign goods vehicles pay tolls and other fees, as well as strengthen spot checks along highways, especially in winter

• establish a vision of zero serious traffic injuries and deaths and prioritise awareness-raising work, main roads with central reservations, and the maintenance and renovation of infrastructure in order to increase traffic safety

• focus on driver technology that reduces the number of accidents and fatalities in traffic

• establish clearer guidelines for how the highway authorities can deviate from requirements in road standards for pedestrian and cycle paths

• prioritise the main road network when 5G technology is being rolled out so that we can make sooner use the technology, contributing to efficient traffic flows and fewer accidents

• continue the targeted work in collaboration with international operators to combat work-related crime and illegal cabotage, facilitate orderly conditions for competition, and ensure traffic safety on Norwegian roads

• gradually reduce ferry fares, in the first instance so that commuters and commercial transport do not have to absorb the costs of passengers traveling for free

• reduce the price of traveling by express ferry in collaboration with the county municipality

• make it easier to obtain a driving licence by allowing private driving schools to complete the entire driving training course, including theory, practical driving and assessment of candidates, and ensure the best possible quality of driving training by reviewing and assessing the driving school approval scheme

• provide DAB radio coverage and mobile coverage in all tunnels on the main road network

• reduce the prepayment amount on Autopass ferry cards

• allow longer payback periods for ferry replacement and toll-financed projects that are set to replace or replace ferry and boat sections on national routes, so that a greater number of rational bridge and tunnel projects become financially feasible

Railways

The train connects the areas where people live and work so that it is easier for people to live where they wish, and to work where they wish. Høyre believes the service needs to be improved. We need improved punctuality, higher speeds and a greater number of departures on the routes. The most important measures for this are the improvement of maintenance measures, the building of a greater number of intersecting lines and an increase in the number of departures. Høyre wants to ensure the best possible service for travellers and freight transport. More goods on the railway means fewer trailers on the roads, improved traffic safety, reduced wear and tear on the roads and falls in greenhouse gas emissions.

The Nye Veier (“New Roads”) model has provided very good results in road development. Høyre wants to repeat this success for the railways and their organisation through the Nye Baner (“New Railways”) model.

• to continue the work of reform in the railway sector to ensure a railway that puts customers at the centre, and provides quality across the entire sector and as much railway for the money as possible

• to continue the competitive tendering of train services to ensure the best possible offer to rail passengers

• to consider using the Nye Veier model when developing railway projects

• to become part of the EU’s international train initiative, which ensures more equal systems in Europe and makes railways more competitive

• to improve train services through a greater number of train departures, newer trains and better service

• to dimension new stretches of railway for 250 km/h where this is possible

• to expand the existing railway network in order to shorten travel time, increase capacity and improve punctuality for rail goods and passengers

• to expand cross-border railways and see the Scandinavian railway network as one

• to make use of new technological solutions in the work of ensuring a greater number of departures and lower emissions from trains

An emission-free transport sector

If we are to achieve our climate targets, we will have to cut emissions from transport. For Høyre, it is important that this is not done in a way that prevents us from traveling. Høyre wants to use new technology that makes it possible to travel the same distance, but with lower emissions. We want to build more and better roads, but make sure that the cars that drive on those roads are emission-free. Høyre’s goal is a transport sector free from emissions.

• to organise duties so that it still pays to choose climate-friendly vehicles, but that user charges are distributed more fairly

• to continue the zero-emission benefits for vans and heavy transport vehicles longer than for private vehicles

• to continue to implement measures from the government’s action plan for fossil-free public transport

• to focus on the most effective solutions that cut emissions on the roads, on the railways, at sea and in the air

• to aim for the first electric passenger aircraft to be in the air by 2025

• to increase the use of advanced liquid biofuels in road and air transport

• to further develop good urban growth agreements and reward schemes that contribute to increased public transport and increased development of routes for cycling and walking in cities and towns, as well as facilitating for conscious land use that reinforces environmentally friendly modes of transport

• to ensure the increased development of infrastructure for low and zeroemission technology for vehicles, ferries and ships in collaboration with private operators

• to facilitate the streamlining of freight transport by road, including expanding the road train network

• to continue and strengthen the bottleneck project and the bridge programme on the county roads

• to more closely link business policy, transport policy and climate policy

• to stimulate further green growth and competitiveness in the Norwegian maritime industry and facilitate increased exports of low and zeroemission technology in the maritime sector

Effective use of resources – more transport

We know that the scope for the economy will be narrower in the years ahead, but technological development means that we do not have to lock the projects into outdated solutions several years before they are to be built. In government, Høyre has ensured that we get more roads for less money, through, for example, the Nye Veier model. There are still major challenges associated with the costs of large transport projects, and therefore Høyre wants to continue the measures that give us more and better transport for the money. Høyre wants to implement measures that provide a better basis for decision-making and utilisation of the latest technology, and which make it easier to prioritise in a more rational way.

• to take good care of the infrastructure we already have

• to develop the National Transport Plan so that there is a better connection between planning and development and thus further reduce planning times, while projects must be flexible enough to use the latest available technology

• to provide sufficient incentives to increase the overall societal benefit of project and at the same time ensure that we meet current needs in the transport sector in Norway

• to assess whether capacity needs can be met in other, more efficient ways than with new expensive developments

• to use new technology to better exploit periods when roads, railways and other modes of transport have low traffic, in order to reduce queues, distribute traffic better throughout the day, and thus utilise capacity better

• to ensure that the calculation of societal benefit includes the consequences of new technological trends and indicates the degree of benefits that are vulnerable to technological change

• to prioritise the launching of projects that provide greater benefits

• to facilitate that municipalities and county municipalities use the scope they already have to deviate from the road standard requirements so that they can build more pedestrian and bicycle paths, which we know are important traffic safety measures

• to overhaul the Norwegian Public Roads Administration’s road standards and simplify the requirements where these could lead to better use of resources, and at the same time maintain the applicable quality for transport

• to continue the work of finding cost-reducing measures

Public transport and good access in urban areas

Høyre will work to develop a good public transport service in all parts of the country. Large urban areas and sparsely populated areas have differing requirements and possibilities. In areas of low population density, good transitions to buses and trains are an important addition to cars, but cars are also necessary where there are few public transport routes. Cars are important for the efficient transport of people and goods in the districts.

In the big cities, a flexible, climate-friendly public transport service combined with good walking and cycling routes is necessary to handle future population growth and for Norway to achieve its climate targets. This requires large government investment. Høyre believes that the use of state funds must be accompanied by requirements to facilitate housing, industry and welfare services in the vicinity of public transport hubs. Urban growth agreements are a strategic tool for stimulating the use of public transport solutions and cycling and walking through a more environmentally friendly land use policy.

• to maintain the state’s share of public transport costs in and around the largest cities

• to take a user focus in public transport to make it more attractive and userfriendly

• to continue to upgrade public transport networks

• to reach the goal that the national travel planner Entur can offer both travel information and tickets for all public transport

• to establish urban growth/urban environment agreements with the nine largest urban areas and consider an advanced reward scheme for the smaller cities

• to adopt new technology and smarter and more flexible solutions that make public transport possible for even more people

• to use big data analyses to map travel needs and adapt services

• to further develop the taxi sector as an important part of public transport and with a strong customer perspective

• to remove the benefit tax on public transport cards paid for by the employer

• to ensure increased frequency and capacity where there is a customer base to justify doing so

• to work for more seamless transfers between the various modes of transport

• to establish more commuter car parks with increased capacity at railway stations and other public transport hubs

• to facilitate good mobile coverage on all train routes and public transport routes

• to facilitate better coordination of public transport routes between the counties

• to develop a regulatory framework for companies within the sharing economy, which contributes to increased commitment, better security and more competition

• to reduce the need for transport through smarter planning and the use of digital communication

The air service is the districts’ public transport network

The flight offer connects us and gives us access to the rest of the world. In several places in the country, especially along the coast, aviation is the public transport service for the transportation of people over longer distances. Høyre believes that a good air service is essential for an export-oriented business community, for international tourism to Norway, and for people’s freedom of movement. Høyre wants to work to make aviation as safe and as efficient as possible.

The upgrading of airports and runways and healthy competition in tower services and air traffic control will ensure passengers more stable, predictable and cost-effective services. Airports constitute a vital part of Norwegian infrastructure, and a number of airports are under development. Høyre believes that the state should set clear requirements and be a long-term and predictable owner of Avinor, as well as provide the company with general conditions to implement these investments. The coronavirus pandemic has hit aviation hard, and it will take several years before aviation is back to a level that can be considered normal. Høyre believes that a national aviation strategy should be formed to ensure the comprehensive and sustainable development of Norwegian aviation.

• to ensure a good air service throughout the country and give special priority to the development and maintenance of the short-haul network

• to facilitate commercial competition and profitable aviation through a balanced system of duties and infrastructure facilitation

• to ensure that Avinor and the non-governmental airports have predictable terms for implementing the necessary expansions in air transport

• to increase the conversion requirement for sustainable biofuels in aviation fuel and facilitate other environmentally friendly alternatives when the technology becomes available, in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from aviation

• to facilitate good general conditions for privately owned/privately operated airports

Modernisation of Norwegian ports

Norway is a port nation, and the coast is one of our major sources of income, with vital jobs and travel routes for Norwegians. Many people use our coast, so it is important that it is simply and clearly navigable. There is a need to further develop the ports and shipping lanes in order to maintain and strengthen Norwegian competitiveness. Høyre believes that efficient ports are also important in order for a greater proportion of freight transport to be moved from road to sea.

• to improve the infrastructure connected to ports

• to ensure good general conditions for commercial ports

• to focus on maintenance and development of the coastal shipping lanes

• to increase funds for the necessary upgrading of fishing ports so that they can accommodate larger boats and increased production from the maritime industries

• to strengthen maritime safety and preparedness for discharges and accidents at sea

• to support dredging and other maintenance of coastal shipping lanes to ensure safe and efficient port entrances

Justice, security and emergency preparedness

Police and the prosecution service

The police contribute to creating security and a good level of preparedness in Norway. Throughout the country, the police must have a presence where it is needed and accomplish their assignments in interaction with the citizens. Crime prevention is the most important goal. The police must be easily accessible and provide good and effective service, including online.

Reported crime is on the decline, but is assuming new forms in the global and digital age. In the future, more of the police’s work will take place digitally. The Norwegian police must earn a high level of trust among the population. If trust is to be maintained, the police must be able to deal with the complex and shifting profile of criminality, whether it is new forms of organised crime, terrorism or online abuse. The police must have resources, competence, equipment and methods that keep pace with developments within the framework of our rule of law and the citizens’ right to privacy.

• to ensure that the police are well staffed and have a visible presence throughout the country, and prioritise police resources in the police districts

• to strengthen the geographical operating units over the functional operating units at the level of the police districts in the years to come

• to have more flexible solutions for service points, such as mobile offices and premises alongside other public enterprises

• to have a police force adapted to a modern crime profile in which a growing number of crimes are taking place online

• to increase the capacity of police cybercrime units in order to face new challenges with crime and threats on the internet and on social media

• to intensify efforts against organised crime and work-related crime, for example through increased cooperation between the police, the customs service, the tax administration and other public bodies

• to build on the main goals of the Police Reform

• to continue the possibility of providing armed police in vulnerable places according to risk and vulnerability analyses

• to maintain the number of places of employment at the same level in the next few years, except where there is local agreement to the contrary

• to uphold the target of 2 police officers per 1000 inhabitants

• to strengthen Norway’s international cooperation with organisations such as Europol and Eurojust

• to intensify the fight against international drug trafficking

• to ensure that police methods are weighed against considerations for privacy and the rule of law

• that the Norwegian police shall be world leaders in the work of preventing, detecting and investigating child abuse

• to open up for other agencies or private operators to assist the police to a greater extent than today, for example with prisoner transport

• to strengthen the prosecution service with a greater number of police prosecutors

• to have a goal of zero cases dismissed when the perpetrator is known

• to continuously assess the police’s working methods and the use of, for example, modern technology to ensure the greatest possible police powers

• to consider alternative duty rotation schemes that are able to increase preparedness when there is local agreement on it

• to prepare a “package process for sexual offenses” on the basis of a model from the health service, where the complainant receives a closer follow-up from when the complaint is made until the sentence is completed

• to recruit a greater number of people with ICT skills to the police to fight digital crime

Courts

The courts and the judiciary must have access to expertise and modern facilities that enable the fastest possible procedural progress. This is a fundamental requirement for the well-functioning rule of law. Cases that come to court today are more complex, whether they concern more extensive and organised crime or more complex litigation. Høyre wants to continue modernising the courts. Høyre wants people to have good access to the courts and specialised judges in order to resolve conflicts.

• to strengthen the capacity of the courts to handle increased caseloads, both in civil and criminal cases, and shorten the time between offences and any potential custody, conviction and imprisonment in criminal cases

• to have multiple fast tracks for specific case types in order to settle cases faster

• to facilitate the use of sound and images in all courtrooms so that proceedings and testimony are documented and can be used in any potential appeal

• to continue the work for simplified and increasingly digital case processing

• to maintain and modernise the courthouses that require it, including through public-private partnerships

Laws, regulations and punishment

Laws and regulations direct our lives and our society. When they are not complied with, punishment can be an effective, fair and predictable response. Høyre believes that an effective penal system should ensure the rehabilitation of those who commit crime at the same time as it should have a preventive effect and be in accordance with the citizens’ sense of justice being served.

• to have a level of punishment that corresponds with the seriousness of the criminal act and the public’s sense of justice

• for it to continue to be a particularly aggravating factor that the aggrieved party is defenceless or is a child

• for the principal feature of sentencing to be that people are rehabilitated back into society, but that arrangements should be made to extend the punishment for particularly serious crimes, such as terrorism, to 50 years

• to increase the maximum penalty when several criminal acts are committed at the same time

• to implement changes in the rules for preventative detention and tighten up the terms for parole

• to remove the possibility of parole particularly for persons who have committed crimes against the bodily integrity of persons and serious crimes against fundamental national interests

• to lift the ban on the procurement of sexual services to improve the situation of sex workers

• to abolish the monopoly on legal advice so that a greater number of people can provide legal advice

• to liberalise the law so that there are no restrictions on who can own law firms

• to define doping in elite sports as fraud so that cases are prosecuted accordingly

• to give the police the opportunity to cooperate with anti-doping organisations in sport in the investigation of doping cases

• to improve the free legal aid scheme for and adjust the income limits so that more people can receive free legal aid

• to raise the penalty for sexual abuse and all involvement in and production of abuse material

• to propose to remove the limitation period for violence and several more types of sexual offences against children under 16 years of age

• to introduce an obligation for Norwegian service providers to notify the police if they discover that their services are being used to spread or store abusive material

• to give judges greater trust and scope in sentencing by both reducing minimum sentences and increasing maximum sentences

• to amend the Flag Act to make it easier for the public sector to fly flags other than the Norwegian, Sami, municipal and county municipal flags on various anniversaries, such as the rainbow flag during Pride

Juvenile delinquency and gang criminality

Gang crime committed by youth gangs is a problem, especially in big cities. Høyre believes that this development must be stopped. Young people who commit crime often start at a small scale. This might be shoplifting, vandalism or minor episodes of violence. Høyre believes that early intervention, prevention and good dialogue with schools, parents and the child welfare service are the most important things for reversing any negative development. Høyre wants to pursue a policy that to a greater extent acknowledges, follows up, and makes the individual responsible.

Gang crime is a complex problem, especially in districts with integration challenges, child poverty, and social problems. Høyre wants to pursue a policy with the aim of breaking up gang structures and preventing the formation of new gangs. This requires continuous and long-term efforts. Work must be done at the international, national and local level. Society must react quickly and clearly to those who break the law, but also help those who want to get out of gang environments.

• to strengthen the police’s preventive work and presence in areas that are particularly prone to crime

• to strengthen interdisciplinary cooperation between the police, health services, and the childhood and cultural functions of the municipalities

• to provide targeted and comprehensive responses and rehabilitation services for young people who commit crimes but cannot be sentenced to prison

• to increase knowledge about juvenile delinquency and gang crime among school staff and students’ parents

• to identify the reasons why young people are recruited into criminal gangs, and put in place measures on the basis of these findings

• to ensure rapid, attentive and coordinated follow-up from the public sector of gang members who are motivated to step out of a career of crime through their own, local Exit programmes

• to have a separate path for youths in collaboration with the police, child welfare and Nav to help those who want to get out of gang crime

• to ensure a more coordinated follow-up service from the public sector after completion of prison sentences

• to introduce new rules for civil confiscation so that valuables that can be traced back to criminal acts can be more easily taken from criminals

• to expand the youth units in Norwegian prisons and more clearly separate adult inmates and young inmates

• to expand the fast-track courts so that young repeat offenders are given consequences as quickly as possible

• to strengthen international police cooperation to combat the establishment of branches of international gangs in Norway

• to strengthen the conflict resolution boards and to a greater extent offer conflict mediation to break up gang environments

Status of victims

Høyre wants to strengthen the status of victims. Victims are too often forgotten along the way – not out of malice, but because society simply invests the most resources in the investigation, conviction and follow-up of the offender. Many victims of crime experience insecurity and poorer quality of life after being subject to crime. Victims of crime differ and react in different ways to their experiences. The most important thing society can do is to ensure that the police and judicial system deal with different types of crime quickly and effectively. Høyre believes that the victims of crime deserve more attention and follow-up than they receive today.

Høyre wants:

• for breaches of the terms in youth follow-up cases shall lead to consequences for the young offender

• to extend the maximum length of exclusion orders from six to twelve months

• to expand the use of ankle monitors as punishment for young people who commit crime

• generally, for persons convicted of abuse in close relationships and other serious acts of violence, for permanent exclusion orders concerning contact with the victims of violence and relevant relatives to be imposed

• for the use of reverse attack alarms to be increased significantly – today it is the perpetrator who should bear the burden to a greater extent, not the victim

• for the police to be able to use reverse attack alarms as a criminal procedural tool without going through the courts

• for victims of violent crime and their relatives to always be notified when there is a risk of encountering convicts outside prison

• to review current provisions on sexual offences with a view to improving protections for victims

Criminal care

Convicts who are due to be returned to society must receive good help and follow-up, both during and after imprisonment. Høyre believes that this work is important in order to prevent new crimes. It is especially important to have effective follow-up of particularly vulnerable prisoners. Høyre will examine the possibility of studying a housing alternative for mentally ill prisoners who fall between the prison service and mental health services, but who will not be returning to society. This will reduce the burden on both mental health services and the prison service and give the very sickest better prospects in the future.

Prisoners who are due to return to society must receive good follow-up and an offer of a job or education. Høyre believes that voluntary organisations that work in this field must continue to receive good support. At the same time, we will facilitate for private initiatives to be able to recruit a greater number of prisoners into working life.

• to reduce the use of solitary confinement in Norwegian prisons

• to improve prison conditions for female inmates, who often have poorer prison conditions than male inmates

• to change the organisation of the prison service so that there are fewer administrative levels and a more even prison service across the country

• to continue to prioritise the entering into of prison transfer agreements so that foreign prisoners can serve their sentences in their home countries

• to continue to offer ankle monitoring for offenders who are due to be sentenced for less serious crime

• to further develop separate wards in the largest prisons for mentally ill prisoners, in collaboration with the health service

• to open up for private staffing agencies to more easily recruit inmates who are set to enter working life after serving their sentences

• to strengthen supervision and follow-up care of particularly vulnerable prisoners

• to consider a new housing alternative for the few most mentally ill prisoners who will not be returning to society

• to ensure better follow-up of former drug addicts who are released from Norwegian prisons

• to establish a minimum standard of social contact for inmates in prison in order to prevent isolation

• to avoid convicts being released directly from high-security prisons, instead offering a better return to society through periods in low-security prisons and interim housing

Hate crime and extremism

Høyre believes that the rise of right-wing extremism, anti-Semitism and radical Islam are threats to our democracy. Contact between extremists takes place digitally and in many cases across national borders. Combating the extreme attitudes that lead to violence must take place in several fields and in close cooperation between the public sector both nationally and locally, the police, industry and commerce, and voluntary organisations.

• to prevent radicalisation and extremism in particularly vulnerable environments

• to prevent radicalisation during imprisonment

• to prepare a national action plan against hate crime and ensure that all police districts have good hate-crime expertise

• to work against discrimination in general and against the rise of anti- Semitism in particular

• to strengthen interdisciplinary cooperation between the police, health services, and the childhood and cultural functions of the municipalities

• to support non-profit and voluntary organisations and social entrepreneurs working to prevent and discourage recruitment to criminal circles and extreme groups

• to increase the capacity of police cybercrime units to face new challenges with crime and threats on the internet and on social media

• to increase efforts in the fight against political and religious extremist circles

Domestic violence

Efforts against domestic violence have been markedly strengthened in recent years, and these efforts will be continued. Insecurity or violence from close relatives in the home is one of the most difficult and greatest violations of bodily integrity a person can experience. Society’s reaction to the perpetrators of such violence must be clear and distinct. Høyre believes that the municipalities and the police are particularly important in the work of preventing and detecting violence and abuse in the home. Therefore, all municipalities should have a strategy against domestic violence, and the local police must give this special priority.

• to intensify efforts against forced marriage, domestic violence and violence motivated by hate

• to intensify the work against domestic violence through better cooperation between the police, the health service and the child welfare service

• to establish a separate law for orphanages that clarifies the orphanages’ mandate

• to ensure crisis centre services throughout the country with a high level of competence in providing protection, security, advice and guidance to women, men and children who are subject to domestic violence

• to ensure the crisis centres’ competence in substance abuse problems and mental health challenges

• to expand and increase the use of reverse attack alarms

• to better safeguard victims by ordering the perpetrator to move from the immediate area where the victims live

• to ensure that throughout Norway the police have specialist expertise in violence against children and domestic violence

• to contribute to employees in schools and kindergartens gaining more knowledge about violence and domestic abuse, and trial pilots with “children’s safety representatives”

Public safety and emergency preparedness

Effective preparedness only becomes apparent when crises occurs. A crisis might be triggered by natural events or caused by the actions of individuals or nationstates. Effective public preparedness means that we are able to interact nationally and locally, and that we have clear responsibilities and lines of command between civilian and military actors with good competence at all levels.

Effective co-operation between the police and the Armed Forces is important in a crisis situation. Høyre respects that in the event of a serious incident it is the police who should lead the national crisis management. At the same time, it should be possible to call on the assistance of the Armed Forces’ quickly and efficiently if necessary. Civil defence also has an important function as a reinforcement resource, and will continue to function as such.

• to review the social preparedness and the national crisis management regularly to ensure that our preparedness is at the best possible level at all times

• to strengthen protection against landslides, forest fires, floods and avalanches

• to strengthen the municipality’s forest fire capacity by improving contingency plans

• to ensure close cooperation with the EU in order to be able to use their resources if necessary

• to ensure that development, operation, maintenance and deliveries of socially critical infrastructure are not put out to tender to countries with which Norway does not have cooperation on security policy

• to ensure good co-operation between the Armed Forces and the police in those situations where such co-operation is relevant

• to bring national warning systems up to date so that the population can be reached via SMS

• to ensure that the police and other emergency services have sufficient equipment to handle a crisis situation and strengthen the civil defence’s ability to safeguard the safety and security of the civilian population

• to have a modern and effective cybersecurity system to protect social institutions, companies and citizens against hacking and other cybercrimes

• to participate actively in international cooperation on dealing with threats from technological developments and hackers

• to further develop the National Cybersecurity Centre as a national response function for digital attacks

• to carry out a comprehensive survey of material needs in various crisis situations and assess procurement and storage, and any potential increase in production capacity of various goods that are considered particularly critical

• to clarify the Security Act as a common framework for all companies that maintain the most important functions in Norway, and make faster progress in the work of implementing the Act across all sectors of society

A well-functioning public sector

Public services – with citizens in focus

Høyre wants an efficient and open public sector that puts the citizens, industry and commerce, voluntary organisations and their needs at the centre. The public sector exists on behalf of citizens. Høyre will therefore work to ensure that the public sector always offers the best and simplest solutions for people.

The public sector is an important provider of services, but should be complemented by private and voluntary initiatives. Høyre believes that the best ideas for improved welfare services are formed when the public sector works alongside private operators. This reinforces quality, innovation and freedom of choice. Høyre wants a safe, modern and easily accessible public sector.

• to ensure a good welfare service to citizens, regardless of where in the country they live, through universally designed, efficient, digital and userfriendly services

• to ensure that private operators who provide services to the public sector do not have inferior competitive terms than public providers

• to make information about options and quality of various services easily accessible to the individual citizen

• to introduce standardised annual user surveys about municipal services that all municipalities are obliged to carry out, and ensure transparency about the results of the surveys

• to ensure that public sector stakeholders make use of or seek solutions in the private sector as much as possible, rather than developing their own solutions in competition with private operators

• to facilitate the sharing of innovative solutions and best practices between municipalities

• to increase the degree of innovative procurement in the public sector

• to strengthen partnerships between business and the public sector through innovation partnerships

• to continue the deregulation and efficiency reform

• to require municipalities, county municipalities and other public enterprises to base their work on sustainability goals

• to develop a national programme for sustainable municipalities, counties and cities with methodologies and tools that can easily be applied locally

• to set requirements for universal design in tenders where this is necessary to realise the goal of a universally designed society

• to introduce common standards for case and archive systems for the state and municipalities

• to set up a commission to assess principles and instruments for good urban and local development, including architecture, aesthetics and neighbourhood planning

• to make it easier to use interpreters, for example by introducing a more digitalised interpreting service

Public sector employees

The public sector must be a good place to work. Skilled and committed employees develop better welfare services. Høyre believes that the public sector must use its role as an employer to create good professional environments with opportunities for learning, personal development and exchanges of experiences.

• for more top managers in the public sector to be employed for fixed terms

• to provide opportunities for more continuing and further education to ensure the best possible competence, including digital competence, in the public sector

• to work to ensure that a greater degree of wage determination in the public sector is able to take place through local negotiations

• to ensure that executive salaries in the state are competitive but not wageleading

• to follow up the new employer’s strategy in the state and clarify the management responsibility and scope for managers to expand and streamline operations

• to continue the inclusion initiative with the goal that 5% of new hires in the public sector will be people with gaps in their CV or disabilities

• to require the use of apprentices in all public construction processes

A digital and efficient public sector

Norway has come a long way in the work of digitalisation. We have a digital public sector, the population has a high level of digital competence, and we have world-class digital infrastructure. Høyre still believes that there is great potential for utilising new, digital technology in order to offer citizens even better services.

• to use the one-time-only principle so that citizens and businesses do not have to submit the same information to the public sector more than once

• to set requirements for digital tools under state supervision

• to increase the pace of digitalisation of public services in close partnership with the business sector

• to establish a main principle that data in the public sector is open and should be made available for further use, but at the same time ensure strict protection of data where privacy, security and important legal security considerations require it

• to continue the hunt for time thieves in the public sector to remove unnecessarily time-consuming rules and procedures, so that time is freed up to solve the most important tasks

• to not let the public sector develop IT solutions under its own auspices where good solutions already exist, or where the private sector can do the job better

• to ensure the automation of case processing that does not require the exercise of discretion

• for all case processing in the public sector to take place within digital systems that document decisions, provide insight for the individual and obtain relevant data from various public registers – automatically for mandatory information, and by consent when it is voluntary to share one’s own data

• in collaboration with the business sector, to review current regulations to ensure up-to-date legislation without obstacles to development and innovation, for example through digitalisation

• to use innovation procurement to promote collaborative projects between private and public stakeholders that ensure the digitalisation of the public sector, innovation and new jobs

• to ensure that public IT solutions are designed so that security and privacy are safeguarded

• to intensify co-operation on digitalisation in the Nordic region so that we become a pioneering region in Europe when it comes to cross-border digital solutions

• to invest in more robust digital infrastructure, especially in municipalities that are vulnerable to natural disasters

• to ensure that the public sector uses artificial intelligence as a tool where it can contribute to better decisions, lead to better and more accurate public services and expose abuse of and fraud with public funds

• to strengthen competition in the mobile and broadband market so that more people have access to fixed and mobile broadband at a lower price

• to aim to provide all households, businesses, public buildings and important road and railway sections with high-speed broadband by 2025, and facilitate for the expansion of the 5G network contributes to us reaching the goal

• to expand the possibility of exchanging user data between public and private digital services on the basis of individual consent, as is currently done with mortgage applications

• to study the potential for the use of drones within, for example, the emergency response agencies and pursue this with necessary measures and legislative changes

• to strengthen the opportunities for the municipalities to develop and improve their work with IT security

More local self-government, more local democracy

Høyre wants to strengthen local democracy and place duties and political decisions as close as possible to those concerned. Duties are best solved by those familiar with local conditions and those who are most affected by the decisions being made.

In order for citizens all over the country to have access to good services, the municipalities must be able to provide these services. Høyre therefore wants to continue the municipal reform process. This will give citizens greater democratic control over their municipality and local environment, and ensure a better quality of services. Larger municipalities with larger specialist environments will also be able to take on more of the duties that are currently performed by the county or the state.

• to ensure that citizens have more control over their own services by expanding municipal self-government

• to continue the municipal reform process with a view to creating larger municipalities with larger specialist environments that are better able to solve the duties they have today, and to take over more tasks from the state and the regions

• to study statutory intermunicipal co-operation for municipalities that over time are not able to ensure their inhabitants basic, statutory services

• to have two levels of government in Norway and thereby dissolve the county councils

• to abolish state restrictions on alcohol serving times and leave this to the municipalities themselves to decide

• to lift the ban on drinking alcohol in public places

• to liberalise the Planning and Building Act

• to strengthen the commissioning competence of the municipalities in connection with tenders and procurement

• to acknowledge the differences between the municipalities and allow the differentiated management of beach zones and wilderness areas when the natural conditions and population size justify this

• for local democracy to assume a unique position, and that local sovereignty must be the guiding principle in land management matters

• to further reduce the state administrator’s ability to review decisions made by the municipality

• to reinforce property rights, simplify the planning system and give landowners increased influence on the management, regulation and use of land, also in protected areas

A house as a home

In Norway, we have a strong tradition of owning our own home. Høyre believes this is positive and wants as many people as possible to own their own home. This democracy of homeowners is one of the cornerstones of Norwegian society and contributes both to widespread private ownership and to savings in private hands. Living in one’s own home provides self-determination and predictability for the individual. This has an intrinsic value. In some parts of the country, it is a challenge that house prices have risen a great deal over a long period of time, and that the route into the housing market has thus become difficult for many.

Population growth and new arrivals without sufficient construction of new housing are the main reasons behind rising house prices. To keep inflation down, it is therefore important to make it easier to build more homes faster. Sufficient availability of plots ready for construction is a prerequisite for this. Simplifications to the regulations, including the Planning and Building Act, faster case processing, and the updating of technical regulations are other measures that are able to contribute to the construction of more homes.

• to continue with the democracy of homeowners as a cornerstone of Norwegian society

• to work so that as many people as possible have the opportunity to own their own home, for example by making greater use of the rent-to-own social housing model throughout the country

• to investigate how the mortgage regulations can be adjusted to be able to offer mortgages for first-time buyers, where their own capital is low but they are able to service a loan

• to continue to simplify and modernise regulations and remove unnecessary requirements and provisions in laws and regulations that delay the construction of housing

• to reduce the right of appeal and simplify the procedures when a construction case is designed on the basis of current regulations

• to be a driving force for the municipalities to use the digital application processes for regulation and construction introduced by the government

• to facilitate good residential environments and a varied housing structure

• to ensure that the Housing Bank treats public stakeholders, housing associations and private actors who wish to use different variants of social housing models such as rent-to-own or part-rent, equally

• to simplify and modernise technical regulations to make it cheaper and more attractive for people to buy and own a home

• to take the initiative for joint Nordic building regulations and common requirements to reduce costs and contribute to increased competition

• to ensure a more innovation-friendly regulatory framework and make it easier for developers to conduct experiments with new methods

• to increase the maximum savings amount in the BSU (home savings for young people) scheme

• to build more energy efficient and sustainable buildings

• to strengthen the democracy of homeowners by rejecting national property taxes

• to introduce a single uniform method for determining the municipal property tax base to ensure equal treatment

Living districts and rural communities

Høyre wants to work for living districts where people wish to live and work. Populated areas and small towns with exciting jobs, good local development and solid infrastructure are important prerequisites to make the district municipalities more attractive. High-quality welfare services, decentralised education and good transport connections are crucial for people to be able to live throughout Norway. The development of smart digital welfare solutions is making everyday life easier for people in rural areas. The rollout of high-speed broadband across the country is making it possible to work digitally from anywhere.

Jobs and local value creation result in positive ripple effects for the local community. A future-oriented district policy must contribute to the local communities being able to utilise their natural advantages for growth and development to the greatest extent possible.

• to continue to facilitate for smart digital solutions being able to provide better welfare services where people live

• to ensure reliable and fast access to high-speed networks throughout the country and prioritise development in sparsely populated areas

• to maintain differentiated employer social insurance contributions

• to move more skilled jobs for the state out of the capital region now that digitalisation makes it possible for government employees to work throughout the country

• to consider the possibility of offering government employees a digital workplace together with other companies in business parks and coworking spaces

• for ministries, directorates and agencies to employ more people with their place of residence and workplaces throughout the country

• to ensure an effective and decentralised educational offering, for example through digital competence hubs

• to ensure a greater number of flexible continuing and further education offerings under the auspices of universities, colleges and vocational colleges than those on offer today

• to invite leading universities from other countries to offer online courses and university subjects through regional study hubs

• to strengthen planning competence in the municipalities in order to strengthen local self-government

• for the municipalities to be allowed to keep more of their assets that are created locally

• to further liberalise the Planning and Building Act to provide the opportunity to exploit local opportunities and resources

• to continue the Merkur programme for the improved development of shops in the districts

Large cities and urban regions

Høyre wants to work for vibrant cities that help create opportunities for their citizens. An increasing proportion of citizens are choosing to live and work in the cities. Cities are therefore an important tool for facing some of the biggest challenges of our time, such as population growth, housing construction, business development and green growth. The cities and urban regions of the future must be enabled to deal with these challenges in an effective way.

• to pursue a policy that makes it easy to establish businesses and homes in the cities, with rapid case processing and fewer opportunities for objections

• to carry out a number of pilot projects where large municipalities are given responsibility for county council duties such as upper secondary schools, roads and public transport

• to prepare the big cities to cope with large population increases and challenges related to social differences, integration and migration

• to ensure that spatial planning, infrastructure and public transport development take natural housing and labour market regions as their starting point in order to better coordinate spatial and planning policy than current municipal and county boundaries allow

• to ensure better coordination between government agencies’ consultative statements on local and regional issues so that they contribute to more efficient decision-making processes and the state becomes a more predictable partner

• to stimulate business and city centre development through cooperation between public and private stakeholders

• to give cities the opportunity to create their own areas where the business sector can voluntarily set aside funds for local development for the benefit of business, following the Business Improvement District model in the UK and United States

• to focus on the cluster programmes and use the clusters as an important engine in business development in the cities

• to strengthen, renew and expand the area investments

• to establish public transport hubs and good public transport solutions in and around cities

• to facilitate for sorting of waste and incentives for waste reduction in large cities

Elections and democracy

Norway has one of the world’s most well-developed democracies. Høyre wants to further strengthen democracy by giving voters more influence in local and national elections. A prerequisite for a well-functioning democracy is an electoral system that ensures that voters’ preferences in terms of politics and individuals make an impact.

• to give voters greater influence by introducing an individual election supplement in parliamentary elections and increasing the individual election supplement in county council elections

• to maintain 18 years as the legal voting age in both national and local elections

• to set a cap on how much politicians can receive in total compensation

• to safeguard elections in Norway against foreign influence by reinforcing the electoral processes and strengthening the authorities’ work to prevent and uncover possible influence operations

Immigration and integration

Strict, predictable and sustainable

Norway has a duty to help people in need and to provide protection against persecution. Høyre’s goal is for as many people as possible to receive help. Norway is a country with a labour market that requires a highly skilled labour force. Thus, it is also more difficult for immigrants with little or no formal competence to enter the labour market, which in turn makes integration more difficult and more expensive for Norway than it is for other countries. Høyre believes that Norway should provide the help that has the most impact and principally contribute with financial means to help refugees in the neighbouring regions of their home country. This will be far more effective than increasing the number of refugees allowed to come to Norway.

• to pursue a strict, predictable and sustainable immigration policy

• to primarily help refugees through financial support in their neighbouring regions

• to work for pan-European solutions to refugee and migration challenges

• to be a driving force for agreements through which people with a real need for protection stay in third countries, and use the aid funding as an instrument to reach an agreement or enter into such agreements

• to return asylum seekers who have stayed in safe third countries before coming to Norway

• to study a system in which Norway provides protection to vulnerable people in need of protection by paying for relocation to safe third countries

• to work to ensure that refugee immigration to Norway takes place mainly through the selection of quota refugees, where we will prioritise sexual minorities, entire families without the need for family reunification, and people with a high probability of successfully integrating

• for asylum seekers and refugees in same-sex relationships to be entitled to family reunification with a spouse/partner, where documentary requirements may be replaced by evidence for countries that restrict access to same-sex marriage/partnership

• to set an income requirement for family reunification at a level where it will be possible to support the family that is arriving

• as a general rule, only to grant temporary right of residence and to expect repatriation to regions from which people have fled when it becomes safe to do so

• to ensure prompt and fair processing of asylum applications and ensure that any repatriations are completed promptly

Right of residence and citizenship

Being a Norwegian citizen is synonymous with being Norwegian. In order to be granted citizenship, applicants must speak Norwegian at a level that allows them to participate in working life, take part in civil society, and have contact with others in society.

Norway has a strong welfare society built on trust and participation. For the welfare system the assumption must be that as many people as possible participate in working life. Therefore, people who are to become part of society must be met with help and support, but also expectations and demands.

• to establish a fast track to the introductory programme with higher requirements for progress and effort for those who are extra motivated, to be rewarded with all remaining introductory benefits being paid even if they enter work straight away.

• to carry out a trial scheme where non-profit organisations and social entrepreneurs receive grants based on how many individuals they get into permanent work within a year of settlement in Norway

• to introduce a requirement to have supported oneself for at least four years in order to obtain the right of permanent residence

• to introduce requirements for participation in work in order to obtain permanent residence, unless exceptional grounds indicate that this is unreasonable

• to introduce requirements that persons are not permitted to incur public sector debts, including non-payment of taxes or payback requirements for public benefits, if they are to obtain a right of residence or citizenship

• to strengthen the Directorate of Immigration’s work to confirm the identity of applicants, and not to grant citizenship or permanent residence if there is any doubt concerning the applicant’s identity

• for citizenship not to be granted if the applicant actively opposes or refuses to cooperate in the work of clarifying his or her own identity

• to assess the B1 level oral language requirement and consider increasing the language requirement to B2 level oral in order to obtain citizenship

• for citizenship to be considered the end point for integration, and therefore be open to people who quickly learn the language, get a job and integrate well into Norwegian society, being given the opportunity to be granted citizenship faster

• not to change the requirements for citizenship for EEA citizens and citizens of the Nordic countries

Successful integration

For Høyre it is important that the people who are to become members of Norwegian society participate in the labour market and civil society and are well integrated. This makes demands on society as a whole and on the individual being integrated. Høyre wants to facilitate integration by continuing and improving the introductory programme. At the same time, the follow-up that people receive must be adapted to their needs and practised evenly throughout the country. Non-profit organisations and social entrepreneurs are important additions to public programmes and can play an important role in the work towards integration.

• to ensure effective and standardised follow-up of people in the introductory programme

• to map refugees’ competence early so that they are able to receive an educational offering in the introductory programme that increases the likelihood of them finding work

• use job programmes aimed especially at minority women to a greater extent in the introductory programme to get more people into work

• to open up for extensions to the introductory programme for people who need more time to become eligible for Norwegian working life

• to offer extra Norwegian language training to refugee intake classes during the summer holidays and set clear requirements for refugee intake students to be included in school activities and learning environment

• to open up for language training to be carried out in combination with participation in working life

• to continue the practice of not settling immigrants in areas where a large proportion of the population are already immigrants

• to ensure effective training in Norwegian values and societal norms, especially concerning freedom of expression and the acceptance of women and sexual and religious minorities

• to collaborate with the voluntary sector and sports clubs to encourage participation in civil society

• to work towards a greater degree of participation in working life and society, especially among immigrant women from groups where these individuals demonstrate a low degree of participation

• to establish an interdisciplinary programme in which schools and the child welfare and health services partner to follow up children who have returned home after a long period abroad

• to introduce competence requirements for teachers who teach Norwegian in the introductory programme

• to develop and improve Norwegian language teaching, for example in collaboration with the academic environment for language technology and computer-assisted language learning

• to ensure that a greater number of people have their education from foreign universities approved sooner

• to introduce national tests in Norwegian language training in order to safeguard the quality of the training

Family, diversity and equality

Family

Høyre believes that the family is our most vital social community. The family creates and ensures a safe framework in which to raise children. In Norway, there are different types of families and family constellations. Additionally, each individual family lives its life in different ways. Høyre believes that the public sector must adapt to the needs of families, not the other way around.

• to support the vital role of the family in our society

• to ensure equal rights for different types of families

• to evaluate the threefold division of parental leave and the consequences it has for families and society, and if necessary make adjustments to ensure better flexibility for families

• to increase flexibility in the payment of parental leave allowance so that parents are able to withdraw a share lower than 80% of salary and instead take a longer period of leave

• to make shared homes the starting point in the event of separation and ensure the children’s right to visitation with both parents

• to remove the cash allowance, but introduce a waiting allowance for parents who are waiting for a place at kindergarten

• to work towards simpler adoption rules both in Norway and abroad

• to introduce a five-year residency requirement in order to receive one-off benefits

• to divide the one-off benefit into several payments to ensure financial predictability

• to provide schemes that make it easier for a greater number of people to have children earlier in life

• to work towards giving fathers independent earning and withdrawal rights in connection with parental leave

• to retain the child benefit allowance and consider other targeted measures to support families with children with weak finances

• to ensure that more children are offered places at kindergarten when they turn 1 year or when the period of parental leave is over

• to extend the period of maternal leave for mothers who give birth after term

• to introduce the right to a supplementary pension for all foster parents who need to take leave to follow up foster children

Child welfare

Høyre wants strong and effective child welfare that safeguards the best interests of children and families. The child welfare service should ensure that children and young people living in conditions that may be harmful to their health and development receive help and care at the right time. In that case, a high level of competence in all municipalities is required so that there are high-quality services.

• to examine a model in which the municipalities are given responsibility for the preventive and supervisory arms of the child welfare service, and the specialist health service is given responsibility for children in child welfare institutions

• that all municipalities must maintain day-round emergency preparedness regarding professional competence in child welfare

• for there to be requirements for intermunicipal co-operation in child welfare for municipalities that have five or fewer employees in their child welfare service

• to require relevant master’s educations for municipal child welfare leaders

• for children to be taken into state care only as a last resort, and that an additional assessment should always be made on the basis of the child’s best interests

• that in cases where the public sector has to take a child into care, the case shall be assessed by employees in the child welfare service with specialisation and special competence in child welfare cases.

• statutory requirements for physical and mental health checks of children for whom the public sector assumes responsibility

• to strengthen the child welfare service’s competence in the prevention of substance abuse problems

• to ensure that information sharing between cooperating bodies becomes easier within existing rules on privacy and confidentiality

• to ensure a comprehensive review of the foster home scheme in close dialogue with foster homes, municipalities and foster children

• to strengthen the legal safeguards for foster children

• to ensure good mapping of foster children’s health and care needs

• for case files that have not been closed by the child welfare service to be automatically transferred to a new municipality when children move across municipal boundaries

Gender equality, inclusion, diversity and leadership

Høyre wants a society in which everyone has the same opportunities to succeed regardless of gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity or functional ability. Høyre wants to make it possible for everyone to live a free and independent life and in addition to be a driving force behind universal design forming the basis for social planning.

• to work towards an equal society

• to prioritise kindergartens, schools and public transport in the work towards a society based on universal design

• to strengthen work towards equality in organisations for the disabled

• to make the Gender Equality Act gender neutral

• to make it easier for people with disabilities to get into work

• to strengthen efforts towards tolerance and acceptance for LGBT+ people in nursing homes

• to ensure sufficient competence about LGBT+ in all schools

• to increase competence regarding abuse among all occupational groups that encounter children through their work

• to strengthen the work towards equality and acceptance of alternative life choices in minority environments

• to work against negative social control

• to prohibit cousin marriages in order to prevent negative social control

• to strengthen efforts to uncover forced marriage and genital mutilation of girls with the aim of preventing this to as great a degree as possible

• to provide whistle-blowers from environments with widespread use of negative social control and honour-related violence with special protections and follow-up

• to extend the opportunity to remain in a permanent adapted workplace until after the age of 67

• to facilitate increased use of conflict resolution boards in cases involving negative social control

• for families of children with disabilities to be ensured effective, adapted, comprehensive and coordinated services

• for people with developmental disabilities to be provided with services that, as far as possible, make it possible to live a full life

• BPA (User-controlled Personal Assistance) is an important scheme that must ensure genuine equality and participation in society for disabled persons who are entitled to the scheme in accordance with the legislation.

Indigenous peoples and national minorities

Through decisions at the national level and its ratification of international conventions, Norway has committed itself to protect the diversity that safeguards indigenous peoples and national minorities. These peoples all have the right to develop their language, their culture and their social life. Høyre believes that this linguistic, cultural and social diversity is an asset for the country, and will work for mutual respect and solidarity between all people.

• to preserve and further develop the Sami language, culture and social life as part of Norway’s common cultural heritage

• to ensure support for institutions that are responsible for preserving Norwegian minority languages such as Northern, Southern and Lule Sámi, Kven, Romanes and Romani

• to preserve Sami cultural traditions such as yoik and storytelling traditions

• to ensure a fully-fledged Sami educational offering

• to preserve the culture and history of national minorities

• to safeguard reindeer husbandry as an economically and environmentally sustainable industry that can continue to be an important culture bearer for the Sami people

• to prepare a new strategy for sustainable wilderness enterprises in Sami areas in collaboration with the Sami Parliament

• equal treatment of farmers and reindeer owners in terms of taxes on fuel for use in the industry

Culture, sports and volunteering

Culture

Culture, and the experiences it offers, enrich us as human beings. Art and culture are part of our national infrastructure. Cultural institutions root us in our common history, challenge us, and open us up to the unfamiliar. They are an important piece of the national democratic infrastructure. Høyre’s principal objectives are strong cultural institutions that are open and accessible to the entire population.

Høyre wants to create new, profitable jobs in the culture sector by facilitating creative business clusters and strengthening regional initiatives. High-level art and culture are important to stimulate and motivate activity at the amateur and grassroots level. At the same time, it is impossible to establish the top echelons without a greater breadth of activity. Høyre wants strong, first-rate cultural institutions that provide art and culture of the highest quality in collaboration with actors from the independent arts. Høyre supports the intellectual property rights of authors and cultural operators and believes this must be safeguarded in the face of technological development.

• to continue to work towards a free and vibrant cultural sector both through public funding and private sector support

• to recognise the role of the major cultural institutions in infrastructure of democracy and to provide support for them

• to ensure decentralisation and breadth in Norwegian cultural life

• to evaluate the roles, tasks and composition of the Arts Council

• to contribute to quality and diversity in the cultural sector with a stronger emphasis on culture’s commercial potential

• to consider a tax credit for private contributions to cultural institutions

• to facilitate a growth in exports from the Norwegian cultural sector

• to ensure that popular cultural events that succeed in reaching a wide audience and achieve their own income base, will continue receiving supported during periods of transition

• to continue to reduce bureaucracy in the cultural sector

• to simplify the process of applying for support for cultural events

• to maintain and further develop both the film incentive scheme and a strong Norwegian film and TV-series production sector

• to continue investing in Talent Norway and Norwegian talent development

• to have cultural schools that provide children and young people with cultural belonging, education and joy in their encounter with a variety of artistic expressions, and strengthen the cultural schools’ role as regional talent channels

• to expand the use of internships, apprenticeships and aspirant schemes at cultural institutions that receive government grants

• to safeguard the donation reinforcement scheme and introduce a scheme whereby sponsors’ support of culture is tax-deductible

• to simplify the Foundation Act to facilitate the growth of private capital as a support to the cultural sector

• to strengthen the general conditions for public-private partnerships and private co-funding in the cultural sector

• to continue to focus on the role of libraries as an important social actor in local communities

Faith and life stance

Freedom of religion or belief is a fundamental human right and a prerequisite for a free society. A well-functioning society has room for the person as a whole, including the religious identity and the life stance of each individual. Høyre believes it is important to protect the opportunity for the practice of religion at the same time as it is important to respect and ensure secular, humanistic, non-religious practice on the basis of the individual’s beliefs and wishes.

Norway as a nation and society has a clear historical connection to the Evangelical Lutheran Christian tradition. In recent decades, Norway has become more secular, and fewer people are attending church. Yet the cultural significance of the Church, even for non-believers, cannot be understated. Institutions such as weddings, funerals, confirmations and baptisms are practised by many, and for Høyre it is important to ensure that this is accessible to the entire population, throughout the country.

• to ensure the right to believe or not believe what one wishes

• to ensure freedom of religious expression and of expressions that are critical of religion

• to prohibit foreign funding of religious communities in Norway

• to consider guidelines for an ethical and dignified funeral policy

• to continue and consider strengthening funding schemes for older church buildings deserving of conservation, including medieval churches

• to introduce a ban on conversion therapy

• to preserve Norway’s anchoring of cultural heritage and values in a Christian-humanistic tradition

• to maintain the Church of Norway as the national church and culture bearer in Norwegian society

Media

A free press is one of the cornerstones of Norwegian democracy. The public sector must facilitate the well-function production of news, at the same time as the media must be free from political influence. As a public service broadcaster, NRK is an important part of our national infrastructure and should therefore be retained, at the same time as it should be easy to run competing, private media activities. To ensure a healthy diversity of media, we will also continue the commercial public service broadcaster scheme as a supplement to NRK.

• to protect copyrights to intellectual property

• to liberalise the book sector agreement and strengthen competition in the book market

• to ensure a diverse and accessible local press throughout the country

• to phase out support for national newspapers and transfer this to local media and a fund for investigative journalism and digitalisation

• to retain a publicly funded, commercial-free and widely available NRK as an important part of the national infrastructure

• to work to ensure that international media players operating in Norway comply with Norwegian competition regulations

• to work to ensure that companies that receive advertising revenue from companies in Norway aimed at a Norwegian audience also pay tax in Norway

Sport, volunteering and leisure

Sport and volunteering are cornerstones of local communities and in many ways the glue binding society together. Norwegians’ participation in sports and volunteering is among the very highest the world. This is one of the reasons why trust between people is so high in Norway. This trust is based on encounters between people in small communities, whether this be in music corps, religious congregations, leisure, football teams or volunteer centres. Sports and physical activity are also of great importance for public health. Høyre wants to invest in sports facilities and make it easier for everyone who wishes to, to be able to participate in physical activity. It is thus also important to have good, suitable outdoor areas in the local communities. Computer games are one of the biggest leisure interests among young people in Norway today. More and more young Norwegian are competing in e-sports, also at the international level.

For Høyre, it is a goal that everyone should be able to participate in sports locally, regardless of personal finances or functional ability. Sport and volunteering are important for human contact and inclusion, and must be accessible to all.

• for the volunteer sector to be free and independent and have access to good terms

• to strengthen volunteering and the role of sport in the work of integration through support for low-threshold services and activity guides

• to ensure that income is not an obstacle for children to participate in sports, and therefore strengthen and continue extend lending schemes for sports equipment

• to stimulate a diverse and adapted sports offering that helps more people to want to contribute for longer to sports, leisure and volunteering

• to continue the leisure card scheme for children and young people in lowincome families

• to ensure sport is an open, safe and accessible arena for all

• to ensure that sports facilities are built throughout the country

• to ensure predictability for VAT compensation for new sports facilities

• to support the national strategy for sports facilities that includes both national facilities and multifunctional facilities, and prioritise multi-sports facilities where this makes sense

• to ensure that several multi-purpose halls and arenas in cultural centres are adapted for online meet-ups and e-sports competitions

• to support initiatives for international e-sports events

• to extend support for the development of computer game technology and contribute to good general conditions for strengthening professional game productions in Norway

• to work towards major international events in Norway with international operators who meet the governance requirements

• for the authorities not to offer financial support to organisations that do not have good standards for good governance, gender equality, anti-doping systems and the sportspersons rights

• to preserve the exclusive rights model and Norsk Tipping’s responsible gambling model, where consideration for gambling addicts must be given most emphasis

• to facilitate for a greater degree of self-organised sports and physical activity

• to ensure a good and predictable system of VAT refunds for voluntary sector operations

• to allow the serving of alcohol at international championships and at matches organised by elite clubs

• to support the work of providing signage and the marking and mapping of paths and hiking routes in the municipalities, and to facilitate that these are made easily accessible online

• to promote sports and leisure in public health and integration work

• to include the Norwegian network for computer game companies (Noneda) and other relevant operators in the further development of the computer game industry in Norway

• to focus on meeting places for computer games and digital culture, preferably in collaboration with local sports teams and other voluntary organisations

• to consider whether responsibility for linguistic norms for Bokmål and Nynorsk should be transferred away from the Language Council

Norwegian cultural heritage and language

Our common cultural heritage, and knowledge of it, is an important part of our democratic and historical infrastructure. In a world with an increasing degree of inputs and external influences, it is important to be conscious of one’s own culture.

Language is a prerequisite for participation in society. Good language comprehension is therefore not only culturally important, but in fact a prerequisite for democracy. The Norwegian language is also crucial for the understanding of our Scandinavian sister languages, Swedish and Danish, and contributes towards a shared Scandinavian identity that is worthy of preservation.

• to have support for both language forms as the overriding objective

• to strengthen Nordic language co-operation with the aim that Scandinavian languages will be understood and used when Scandinavians interact

• to ensure that Norwegian cultural heritage is protected, and ensure active preservation of folk music, dance and crafts, especially small trades which are deserving of conservation

• to strengthen the ability of museums to preserve and render our national cultural heritage more accessible

• to strengthen the production of Norwegian fiction and non-fiction and contribute to it reaching a broader international audience

• to give local authorities more influence over the spelling of local names

Foreign affairs and defence

Norway in the world

Norwegian foreign policy must safeguard Norwegian interests and values. As a small country with an open-market economy, close international cooperation, an international legal order and a well-functioning framework for international trade are in our favour. This means that we protect our economic and security interests through NATO, and that we participate in binding international cooperation to solve the common global challenges of our age. The coronavirus pandemic has shown the importance of close international cooperation in the face of global crises. Høyre believes that Norway must be a global player according to clearly defined priorities and in line with Norwegian interests. This means that in future we will critically assess the allocation of resources at our foreign missions so that we can exercise sufficient diplomacy to meet Norway’s needs. Norway must maintain and develop the good bilateral relations we have with important partners, such as the Nordic countries, the United States, the EU, the UK and Germany.

• to pursue a foreign policy that safeguards Norwegian interests

• to maintain Norway’s position as an active and credible NATO ally

• to work for necessary reforms of the UN and the WTO to ensure the effectiveness and legitimacy of the principal international bodies

• to use our place on the UN Security Council 2021–2022 specifically to promote women’s participation, resolve conflicts through diplomacy, protect civilians and combat climate change

• to enter into a greater number of free-trade agreements with non-EU countries

• to be a driving force for global free trade and the conclusion of wellfunctioning free trade agreements, also with developing countries

• for all Norwegian foreign service missions to be able to assist Norwegian industry and commerce

• to review the deployment of resources at foreign service missions in order to prioritise missions that are considered key to Norwegian foreign policy interests.

• to strengthen relations with the United States based on common security interests, economic relations, Norwegian-American bonds of friendship, and shared values such as democracy and freedom

• to work for stronger international cooperation towards disarmament and against the proliferation of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction

• to contribute to political development in the Middle East through a balanced approach, the expansion of good relations and the deepening of trade, business and research cooperation with, among others, Israel.

• to establish a mechanism for controlling foreign direct investment so that undemocratic states or entities operating under their control cannot exert political pressure or make strategic acquisitions through their investments

• for the obligation to report foreign ownership to follow equally strict rules as in the EU

• to actively oppose the influence of foreign powers, among other things through the strengthening the Security Act and cooperation with our allies

European policy and the EU

Even though Norway is not a member of the EU, we are a geographical, cultural and historical part of Europe. Throughout history, European cooperation has been a benefit to Norway, while European division has been a loss. Therefore, European cooperation is a fundamental Norwegian interest and one of the cornerstones of foreign policy. This is not just a question of trade but also of democracy, security and community. Høyre backs Norway’s membership of the EU and we believe the current EEA agreement is fundamentally important for the country.

• to work towards membership of the EU for Norway

• to pursue an active policy towards Europe and defend the EEA Agreement

• for the EEA Agreement to be a fundamental requirement for any government in which Høyre participates

• for Norway to be an active partner of the EU in matters related to the climate, democracy, human rights, security and health, for example by safeguarding EEA funds for these purposes

• to ensure the closest possible relationship with the UK outside the EU

Development and human rights

Trade and international cooperation are a driving force for economic growth and a prerequisite for the spread of democracy and human rights. Norway plays a major role in global development and contributes to people being able to work their way out of poverty.

The development policy of the future will support processes that lead to lasting change and make the recipient countries better able to create their own growth. Humanitarian aid must be provided to the most vulnerable and to those affected by war, conflict and disaster. At the same time, it is of considerable interest to Norway and the world that a larger share of Norwegian aid goes towards climate measures in developing countries. These are countries that are undergoing strong population growth and industrialisation. If we are to achieve the global climate targets, these countries must skip the fossil fuel stage and go straight to the renewable-energy stage.

• to maintain Norway’s position as an important contributor to global development policy

• to direct the greater part of Norwegian aid in developing countries towards climate, clean oceans and girls’ education

• to work for a more effective UN in which human rights are given priority across the organisation’s areas of operation

• to pursue the UN’s sustainability goals and prepare a national action plan for the sustainability goals with national indicators for the achievement of targets

• to ensure that Norway pursues a policy that promotes freedom of religion, women’s rights, equality and the rights of LGBT+ people internationally, including by taking international leadership towards the decriminalisation of homosexuality globally

• to generally avoid direct state-to-state assistance, but expect recipients of bilateral assistance to show a real willingness to uphold and strengthen human rights, democratic development and freedom of expression

• to make Norwegian aid more effective and results-oriented by concentrating aid on fewer countries and fewer projects

• to carry out a critical review of Norwegian development funds to ensure a greater degree of measurable results and ensure transparency about the usage and outcomes of aid

• for all aid projects and programmes to be initiated with an expected end result and a discontinuation strategy if the result is not achieved within a given time period

• to work towards the growth in trade between Norway and the world’s poor countries, as well as between poor countries

• to prioritise injections of capital to Norfund

• to contribute to continued increase in Norwegian investments in developing countries

• to work to ensure that Norwegian aid contributes to resource mobilisation and increased political will for change in recipient countries

• to reduce the funds used for aid, and replace the current percentage targets for spending with clear performance targets for aid

• to carry out a critical review of organisations that currently receive Norwegian support

• not to support organisations that encourage violence or promote hate speech, racism or anti-Semitism

• to remove support for Palestinian organisations and institutions calling for terrorism, violence, gender discrimination and anti-Semitism

• to contribute emergency humanitarian aid in crisis situations

High North policy

Høyre wants to safeguard the High North as Norway’s most important region and strategic focus area for security policy.

The High North policy must be focused on the original objectives, which is a security policy built on deterrence and reassurance with an increased military presence in the north. At the same time, Høyre wants to realise the enormous commercial potential of Northern Norway, which can guarantee varied and attractive jobs and viable communities in rural and urban areas. Høyre wants to contribute to a greater degree of value creation in Northern Norway as one of the most creative and sustainable regions of Europe.

• to strengthen the military’s presence in the north and pursue a security policy based on deterrence and reassurance

• to continue the historic investment in infrastructure in the north, including broadband

• to further develop Northern Norway as a region for the space industry in close collaboration with national and international knowledge environments

• to establish an innovation centre for entrepreneurial companies in the space industry

• to increase co-operation with the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the EU and the Nordic countries concerning High North policy

• to develop a joint West Nordic business and development strategy together with Denmark, Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands

• to maintain Norway’s leadership role in reducing tensions in the north through the Arctic Council and use our seat to promote Norwegian views on and interests in the High North

• to maintain a good neighbourly relationship with Russia and increase cooperation in areas of common interest, at the same time as being clear on fundamental Norwegian societal values and security policy interests

• to strengthen and further develop people-to-people cooperation in the High North in order to reduce tension and increase understanding between people

• to maintain a Norwegian population on Svalbard and work towards increasing the proportion of Norwegians there

• to work for international support for and understanding of the provisions of the Svalbard Treaty

• to strengthen research and facilitate a greater degree of polar, climate and space research

• to develop a regional competence boost adapted to employment requirements and support decentralised services so that people can educate themselves where they live

• to secure further financing of the government’s existing investment fund operated from northern Norway in order to give entrepreneurs in the north better access to capital

A robust military

The state’s most important task is to ensure the safety of its inhabitants and the security of society. Høyre wants to further develop the Armed Forces so that they protect Norway’s sovereignty, interests and latitude. Norway guarantees NATO’s presence in the High North, and NATO guarantees Norway’s security. Høyre believes that Norway’s security policy interests are ensured through reassurance, deterrence, security and stability in our immediate vicinity and through international contributions in partnership with our allies. Høyre will continue to strengthen the Armed Forces’ responsiveness, combat strength and endurance.

• to increase funding for the Armed Forces in order to meet the country’s security challenges, maintain NATO’s 2% ambition and the current level of at least 20% of defence budgets on new equipment, in line with the Wales Declaration

• to strengthen military service as an institution and ensure increased recruitment

• to ensure a nationwide and effective National Guard with good capacity for response

• to ensure a comprehensive and balanced Armed Forces with mutually reinforcing capabilities in land, naval and air power

• to ensure a strong Norwegian presence in our immediate vicinity, situational awareness, the assertion of sovereignty throughout the country, and a credible preventive deterrent

• to contribute to the strengthening of NATO’s collective forces and maintaining Norway’s good standing in the alliance

• to ensure broad international awareness of the complex security policy challenges that characterise our neighbouring areas

• to strengthen defence cooperation with our most important alliance partners: the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany and France

• to strengthen Nordic and European defence co-operation as supplements to NATO

• to further develop and strengthen the Armed Forces’ capabilities to deal with emerging scenarios in intelligence, cyber and new, hybrid threats

• to ensure good and predictable general conditions for the Norwegian defence industry

• to further develop overall defence in line with the intensified security policy situation and society’s needs in peace, crisis and war

• to improve the Armed Forces’ tools to communicate with the population

• to further develop the Armed Forces’ cooperation with other agencies, such as the police and customs

• to improve society’s security and preparedness, including security of supply, and strengthen the ability to manage society’s critical functions

• to use artificial intelligence in the Armed Forces, as the technology develops, in line with the country’s defence policy interests and the Armed Forces’ requirements

• to ensure that fundamental national functions are adequately secured

• to work to ensure that civil society and the business sector strengthen their ability to offer support in crisis situations

• to ensure that veterans receive adequate follow-up after completing their service

• to improve conditions for the families of soldiers on foreign assignments, for example by transferring the parental leave of the person who is on active service and not therefore permitted to take it, to the parent at home

• to continue the modernisation of the Armed Forces and implement planned investments in new materiel and equipment

• to remove the requirement that a portion of the building budget be used for art, when the buildings have military purposes or are to be operated by the Armed Forces