– The Conservatives say they want to do something about care for the elderly, but they won’t come up with a single penny. There is no extra money, says FRP’s health policy spokesperson Bård Hoksrud about the Conservative Party’s alternative state budget, which was presented on Wednesday.
In its alternative budget, the Conservative Party has not highlighted a separate item for care for the elderly.
“Høyre wants to create a more age-friendly society and give the elderly a safe and dignified old age. The need for nursing home places is only going to increase in the coming years. That is why we want to build more nursing home places and care homes, and demand a net increase in the investment subsidy for round-the-clock care places,” it says in The right’s own formulation.
– You don’t build nursing home places out of air and love. There must be a will to say that “we will strengthen this, and we will set aside money for it”. I am really disappointed with the Conservative Party and elderly care, says Bård Hoksrud to Dagsavisen.
The FRP itself will tempt with a lower deductible for health services, more nursing home and care places and more for elderly care in its alternative state budget, which will be presented on Thursday.
Norway’s largest party
The Conservative Party, which currently has to look at the fact that the FRP now has the title of “Norway’s largest party” in the opinion polls, showed on Wednesday how they would distribute the money if they had government power. They promise to strengthen hospitals, increase child benefit, provide more employees in the police and cut taxes by 28 billion. The party will give particular priority to half the wealth tax to strengthen Norwegian companies.
– In this budget, the Conservative Party shows that it is possible to cut taxes, and at the same time secure welfare, says Conservative party leader Erna Solberg in a press release after the presentation.
Although Hoksrud believes that the FRP is much more willing to spend money on care for the elderly than the Conservative Party, he still believes that things will go well with the Conservative Party and the FRP in government – if the bourgeois side wins the election next autumn.
– The last time we were together with the Conservatives in government, we were able to strengthen care for the elderly, he claims.
Read comment: Bad news for an Ap in crisis
More for the elderly
On Thursday, the FRP will therefore present its alternative budget. One of the things Hoksrud would like to highlight is that the party will spend NOK 2 billion on care for the elderly to strengthen staffing and improve the quality of the service offered. In addition, the FRP will start the construction of 2,000 new nursing home and care places with round-the-clock care, in addition to the 1,500 places the government proposes in its state budget.
More specifically, the FRP will also spend 400 million on giving people a lower deductible for health services and medicines. If you are going to see a doctor or buy medicine, you must spend NOK 3,165 today before you get a free card. In the state budget for 2025, the government proposes to increase the ceiling to NOK 3,278. FRP wants the ceiling reduced to NOK 3,000.
– We see that the deductible has increased quite sharply from NOK 2,400 in 2022. It has increased by 33 per cent, which is more than wage and price growth would indicate, says Hoksrud.
– For those who can’t afford it, are disabled, on sick pay or have social security, that’s quite a lot of money in a short time. They find that this has major consequences at the start of the year, in January and February when the electricity bill is high and the bills are many. Then it’s pretty tight after Christmas, says Frp’s health policy spokesperson.
Even if the FRP “only” wants to cut the deductible ceiling by a few hundred Swedish kroner, Hoksrud believes that it will mean a lot for those who can’t afford it.
– Perhaps the high deductible makes them refrain from buying important medicine. I think it is unsustainable, says Hoksrud to Dagsavisen.
Read also: Shocked by the government: – They are absent (+)
Read also: Tajik grateful for his time in politics: – I win another life
Read also: Here, training for war in Oslo: – We take the soldiers into the unknown (+)