It retains the benefits of the electric car and sharpens the rich tax – VG

– The decommissioning of a fleet of fossil fuel cars does not happen by itself. Although the electric car policy has been a success so far, we still need strong instruments to achieve the goal of 100 percent fossil-free new cars by 2025, says recently elected Liberal Party vice president, climate and environment minister Sveinung Rotevatn, to VG.

On Thursday morning, the Liberal Party will launch the proposal for a new party program for the 2021 parliamentary elections.

After both the Conservatives and the Labor Party agreed to cut benefits from electric cars in the coming years, the Liberal Party is responding by going to war for continued large tax breaks during the next term.

Fear of electric car sales

Rotevatn is now leading work on a new party program after Guri Melby was elected the new leader of the Liberal Party last Sunday.

A joint Storting has set a goal that by 2025 all new cars in Norway are fossil free. The liberal deputy leader fears that high sales of electric cars will stop if the profits of electric cars taper sooner. He points out that the density of electric cars is high in big cities, but low in the suburbs.

– How important is this issue for the Liberal Party if it continues in government after the elections?

– Our experience is that the absolute requirements create a bad negotiating climate. But it was a great victory for the Liberal Party to ensure that the performance of the electric car remained constant throughout this term. That is why it is important for us to maintain the benefits.

At the same time, Rotevatn warns that the Liberal Party wants a continued increase in CO2 taxes on gasoline and diesel, so the consumption of fossil cars will also be more expensive:

– We want to increase the CO2 tax, more than what the current government statement says. It will also help stimulate more electric cars, he says.

Tax increase alert for ministers

If the Liberal Party is allowed to decide fiscal policy, Sveinung Rotevatn will likely have to pay more taxes on his minister’s salary of just over 1.4 million NOK.

He warns that the Liberal Party wants a new step in the so-called tiered tax for those who earn “more than a million crowns.” The current highest step this year applies to income above NOK 999,550.

– We have not finally determined the starting point for a new step. But for my part, I earn well enough not to think that I pay too much tax. I can contribute a little more. It could give low- and middle-income people good prospects for relief. Rotevatn says.

Must contribute more

The huge public spending during the corona pandemic is part of the justification:

– The Treasury is not infinitely deep, sadly. There are prospects for lower oil revenues. To maintain a generous state of well-being, some of us will have to contribute more, he adds.

– How much more will the Liberal Party charge on the tax bill?

– We have no objective of increasing the overall tax burden, says the deputy leader of the Liberal Party.

Reduction of wealth tax

In the draft of the program, the party will continue to reduce the estate tax by increasing the lower deductions and greater discounts on shares.

But Rotevatn rejects that it is relevant for the Liberal Party to completely remove the estate tax, as the majority recently agreed at the Conservative Party’s national meeting:

– If completely eliminated, it will mean plus zero taxpayers. We shouldn’t have any of that, says the deputy leader of the Liberal Party.