The parliamentary opposition believes that the planned parliamentary report is simply an attempt to buy some time before the next election.

2008-09-24 På norsk

Tora Aasland, Minister of Research and Higher Education, revealed on Friday that a parliamentary report on research will be put forward during the course of 2009. The main goal of the parliamentary report is to discuss the Government’s goals for the research sector, after four years in government. This is making Odd Einar Dørum (the Liberal Party of Norway) see red, because he believes that the Government is not delivering on this issue.

In the Soria Moria Declaration, the Government aimed to:

• Increase the contribution to research to three per cent of the gross national product by 2010
• Increase the transfers to the Research Fund

• Strengthen recruitment to research
• Increase grants to advanced research

• Back areas of research in which Norway has advantages in wealth creation and company-centered research.

- If one is to judge the Government on their actions during this parliamentary period, I fear that the budget is weak. I think that the Government is trying to buy time for the next parliamentary period, Dørum says.

The Minister of Research and Higher Education thinks that this government has done more than the last, in terms of money. She asks that the opposition waits for the national budget, before judging whether or not education is a political priority.

Chair of the Standing Committee on Education, Research and Church Affairs, Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide (the Conservative Party of Norway), thinks that the Government is having trouble reaching the goals that they have set for their research policies.

- I believe that the Government is paralyzed, that they are doing something just for the sake of doing something. They do not want to have to follow up on the commitments that they made in the previous parliamentary report.

Aasland rejects this.

- We are not afraid of not reaching our goals with regard to our research policies. New perspectives are healthy, and this is what the parliamentary report will bring.

The last parliamentary report concerning research came in 2005.

Practical measures

Dørum thinks that Aasland is a cabinet minister with good intentions.

- But unfortunately I do not believe that she has the rest of the Government on her side when it comes to giving the research sector the lift it needs.

Is it likely that we will see any practical measures after the parliamentary report is presented in 2009, that is to say between January and June, when the parliament breaks up for the summer?

- I fear that this will not happen. I fear that the Government’s policies on research and education will be their losing point, says Dørum.

Aasland says that the national budget will be the beginning of practical measures.

- The national budget is decided for one year at a time, this controls the money. One can shape policy along the way, for example through parliamentary reports.

Thinks that the Government is falling behind

Dørum thinks that the Government must first complete what they set out to do in the previous parliamentary report, before presenting a new one.

- The Government must first give the Research Fund funds for running costs, 150 billion by 2010. There is a need for a plan for recruitment to the field of research, renewal of scientific equipment and buildings, and a reintroduction of the «skattefunn» scheme.

Søreide believes that the Government is not following up on their promises.

- I understand that the Government is saying what they will do when they are not in government, that is to say in 2020, and that they are not doing anything while they have the power.

According to Aasland, the new parliamentary report will build on the last one. The Government will largely carry out practical measures through the new budget.

Worrying signals Leader of the Research Fund Bjarne Hodne hopes that there are funds coming with the report.

- The last thing we need is more empty talk. It is important that the report comes before Easter, so that it can be debated.

President of the National Union of Students in Norway, Ingvild Reymert, shares Hodnes’ thoughts on the parliamentary report.

- We are worried that the Government will move away from their goal of three per cent when they wish to formulate more concrete and realistic goals for their contributions to research.

Aasland denies that there will be any cuts in their goal of three per cent.

- Does this mean that you will adjust the goal of three per cent of the gross national product for research - No, but we need a reassessment of how we define and measure research, and this will be discussed in the report, she says.

MEB • Translated by Anna Young