Total rift in Frp parliamentary group: veteran withdraws in protest against Listhaug – VG

– I have notified that I am resigning as spokesman for drug policy. I’m not going to get involved in drug reform. I experienced it as a direct mistrust of myself, since I was responsible for that case.

That’s what MP Kari Kjønaas Kjos says. She has been at the Storting for the Progress Party for 16 years.

The outbreak comes after a hitherto unknown drama in connection with the FRP national board meeting on March 21. There, the party’s national government overwhelmingly decided to oppose the government’s drug reform proposal.

Until now, the party has chosen to keep this resolution hidden from the public.

– Distrust of me

According to Kjos, the party leader, Siv Jensen, had tasked him with preparing the parliamentary group’s consideration of drug reform, which was scheduled for Wednesday, March 24.

– We had a process underway where the parliamentary group would discuss this on Wednesday, three days after the national board meeting. I had been commissioned to write a note for the group, where I was to compile 200 pages of responses to the query, says Kjos.

But the process turned upside down during the FRP national board meeting. Incoming party leader Sylvi Listhaug was central in a push for the party to say a resounding no to drug reform, according to Kjos.

– Sylvi informed me on Friday afternoon (March 19 journal.anm.) That she is considering promoting a resolution. I gave her a clear message about what I thought of her tapping the process that was adopted in the party, and they informed me that we would consider the matter in the parliamentary group the following Wednesday. I said I perceived it as a distrust of me, says Kjos.

– I called Saturday night for a resolution. So Sylvi called and I repeated how I felt about that process. However, the resolution was promoted and voted on Sunday.

Forbidden to participate in the debate.

She says neither she nor health policy spokesperson Morten Stordalen were delegates to the national government. Thus, the two health politicians were banned from participating in the debate where the party decided what it thought about drug reform, which is the biggest issue to be addressed by the Storting health committee this spring.

VG has been informed by various sources who were present at Sunday’s meeting that the national board was not informed of Kjos’ objections to the resolution.

– I have not been involved in shaping or making that resolution. I do not know how the debate has been, what has been emphasized or how it is thought. So it becomes impossible for me to be responsible for what the party thinks, says Kjos.

– What do you think of the way Listhaug configured the process?

– I never would have said it like that. It is an important issue in which many are involved. He hoped that we would treat it seriously and completely, as we treat the National Transportation Plan or the Long-Term Plan of the Armed Forces. Then we spent a lot of time debating and including the whole party, says Kjos.

– I just didn’t understand why it was vital to tap everything and not let the parliamentary group be part of the debate. There were several in the parliamentary group who wanted to have a good debate on this, he adds.

She says the Storting group’s planned discussion on drug reform was canceled after the national board’s decision.

I didn’t pick up the phone

– How did Listhaug take that you said you were retiring?

– I haven’t spoken to her since. I texted him on Sunday. He tried to call me, but I didn’t speak to him.

– Why didn’t you want to talk to her?

– I spoke to her on Friday afternoon and Saturday. Then I was very clear about what he thought about the process and how I took it personally. It did not affect her. So I don’t see any reason to talk to her anymore.

– What did Siv Jensen tell you?

– We had a talk, because for her it was very important to have a talk. He realized that I took it very seriously. We had a really good chat. I’ve always had a good relationship with Siv. But as I told her: It doesn’t change what happened.

Kjos says he wants to do his job diligently during the legislature, but says what happened last weekend was tough.

– Is there more than you who have reacted?

– Yes, there was a debate on the process in the Storting group. There are many who have contacted me and think that it has been very messy and is not right. It has been very nice with a lot of support.

– I’m glad I didn’t run for reelection.

– He is not running for re-election in the Storting. What do you think this is the end of the work you’ve done?

– Yes, in that sense, I am glad I am not seeking re-election. It would have been difficult to move into a new period after that. Drug policy is the reason I started politics, and I have been a spokesperson for drug policy for many years, says Kjos, adding:

– Therefore, it is extra sad that it happens in this particular case, where I have a lot of commitment and where I know many people in the system. Both activists and drug addicts. It’s a shame not to be a part of that.

– In light of this case, what do you think about Listhaug’s leadership qualities?

– I think he has a bit to learn, I think.

– Lost the party’s most capable anti-drug politician.

Until February, the parliamentary representative Åshild Bruun-Gundersen was the health policy spokesman in Frp. She supports Kjos.

– I can confirm what Kari says, and many of us think that it is very unfortunate that the case has ended in this way. Sylvi has been involved in the health faction’s work with drug reform since day one, so she knew very well that the Storting group would discuss all aspects of this reform a few days after the board meeting. national. Now the process is punctured and we have lost the party’s most talented anti-drug politicians in Kari, writes Bruun-Gundersen in a text message to VG.

– The Storting group never had a real opportunity to discuss the reform. There are aspects that we are obviously opposed to, but there was a genuine desire among many to make daily life easier for highly addicted people. Kari has been working hard on this over the years and it would be wise to listen to her evaluations, adds Bruun-Gundersen.

Kjos is also supported by the representative of the Storting, Sivert Bjørnstad, who sits on the national board.

– I think it is a pity that the work has been short-circuited in the national board, and that the parliamentary group has been deprived of the opportunity to follow the process that had dragged on for a long time, writes Bjørnstad in a text message to VG.

– I understand well that Kari is disappointed with this, me too.

– It is not certain that the result would have been different if the group had processed the case. I also know that I am in the minority internally here, but then at least they would have received proper and comprehensive treatment that would have stood the test of time, writes Bjørnstad.

Current health policy spokesman Morten Stordalen says the decision shows that Frp is a bottom-up governed organization, and that the parliamentary group is not a small circle that decides policy.

He himself has been skeptical of drug reform, something he says he shares with many in the party organization.

– I take note of the decision of the national board, but I also feel sympathy for Kjos’ discomfort. She has worked a lot with drug policy, Stordalen tells VG.

Jensen responds on behalf of Listhaug

VG has presented Kari Kjønaas Kjos’s statements to Sylvi Listhaug and asked for an interview. Listhaug has declined to appear for an interview and will not comment on the case either.

Outgoing party leader Siv Jensen responds on behalf of Frp in a written comment.

– There has been a great commitment in the party on this issue. Many have been completely reluctant to decriminalize. The editorial committee of the National Board under the leadership of Sylvi Listhaug submitted a motion for a resolution, which was voted by an overwhelming majority, writes Jensen.

It adds that the national board has every right to adopt resolutions on all matters, including those under consideration by the Storting.

– It is very sad that Kari does not want to continue as a spokesperson for drug policy. He has a great commitment and a great credibility in the area. But once you’ve made that decision, we just have to take note.

– As party leader and parliamentary leader, I must point out that she thinks the process around drug reform was a shame. It is my responsibility and I take what you say very seriously. We must learn from this in the future when we discuss issues that elicit great engagement, Jensen concludes.