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In a familiar style, Liv Signe Navarsete was at the forefront at the Storting today and had several questions for the Defense Minister.
Among other things: Should the new Armed Forces surveillance aircraft be phased in at Evenes as planned?
Frank Bakke-Jensen also responded in a familiar style and was able to confirm that most things went according to plan, despite delays.
But then Navarsete suddenly wanted an answer to what no it was listed in internal defense documents, partly reduced to the Finnmark Defense Minister.
– Basing a political debate on leaks, informing, silencing and inspecting is dishonest, said the Defense Minister from the rostrum.
See the full video below on the case.
Where should airplanes be gradually introduced?
Norway’s new P-8 surveillance plane will be based at Evenes in Nordland, the majority in the Storting have decided.
But the road to full operation in 2023 has been partly tortuous, and it became clear last year that the hangar at the new airbase has been delayed and may not be ready in time to receive the first new aircraft arriving in 2022. .
Therefore, the Armed Forces considered a temporary location. Andøya, Bodø and Gardermoen were mentioned as alternatives.
However, the Defense Minister has insisted that the new aircraft be gradually incorporated into Evenes, despite the delays.
Warned from the rostrum
But the Center Party does not seem to be calm. For Liv Signe Navarsete, it seems there is still a chance that planes will be phased in somewhere other than Evenes.
The actual discussion about Evenes is neither new nor sensational. But that Navarsete challenged the defense minister for information she has leaked from defense employees, Bakke-Jensen didn’t like it.
From the rostrum he warned:
– I would warn against this way of working. I want to point out what is really going on here now. In other words, there are some unfaithful servants in the Armed Forces who disclose information in an internal process. It completely violates the rules we have to guarantee good democratic processes. Now the Center Party is trying to bypass the Chief of Defense.
Y:
– I must be warned against the establishment of a political regime based on rumors, leaks and whistleblowers. Because that is what is happening in this case.
– Unfaithful Servant
For NRK, the defense minister elaborates the criticisms of Navarsete.
– The Center Party has argued for a long time on the basis of information that has been leaked to someone in the defense. In other words, the Center Party bases its political debate on infidel servers who leak information.
According to Bakke-Jensen, Navarsete, who is the spokesperson for SP’s defense policy, contributes to undermining democracy.
– That there is an unfaithful servant in the defense, that is a problem. But that a Storting politician uncritically accepts such documents and uses them without thinking about the constitutional is worrying.
– Very surprising vocabulary
Navarsete, for his part, says he was surprised by the strong opposition he received at the Storting.
– This was a vocabulary that was in no way in the style of the question. It was a very surprising writing from a Storting minister.
She explains in more detail what is the reason why the question arose.
– The Center Party requested access to a case related to the gradual introduction of the surveillance aircraft. We have been informed that Evenes will not finish on time.
According to Navarsete, it was a tortuous path toward rejecting the access request.
Initially, the Center Party requested access, but was denied. Then they were told that it was the committee that had to run, which they did. They were told what day the documents would be available to the committee, but time was postponed twice before they were told that the committee couldn’t see them either, because the ministry now defined them as internal working notes.
– a tip I have
– What kind of documents are these?
– These are not documents sealed as secret or top secret, but limited. It’s no rhyme that the committee should have access first, but then suddenly we didn’t get it anyway. Therefore, we have followed up on this, because we believe it is a strange procedure of the ministry.
– But do you know what is written there?
– This is information that I have received and it is not the only thing that I have received from people in the Armed Forces.
– Does the defense minister react to the fact that he has received information from an unfaithful servant and uses it in a political debate?
– We receive many inquiries from different sectors of the defense, and if there is something that is strictly secret, I still have the benefit of listening to someone refer it to me. If this had been a classified document, I would not have asked the question. But this is not about national security, it is simply a practical question about where the P8 aircraft will be phased in.
– I have not said a word about what is in the document. They just ask me if you can confirm that no It says something about the phase-in of Gardermoen. But his not responding, I think it means there is something about Gardermoen in the docs. We have asked the Defense Minister countless questions on various aspects of defense, there is little answer to be had. I think the Minister and the Ministry would stand up to show more openness to the Storting and its representatives.
Delayed in Evenes
However, Bakke-Jensen insists that Evenes is what matters.
– Navarsete refuses to relate to what the Chief of Defense and the Minister of Defense hear about an unfaithful servant down in the organization.
– Due to the delays, we had to consider whether we should gradually incorporate the P-8 elsewhere, and she believes it is such a document that proves there is another truth. It is completely unheard of.
– When did the first surveillance planes land in Evenes?
– The first planes will arrive in early 2022 and permanent installations will be completed in 2023. We are delayed due to work around the hangar, but we will get the planes to Evenes on time and operate them from a temporary location, and then from that infrastructure . we are building there.