The salary of party secretary Torkil Vederhus does not even reach the bank account until part of it returns to the party coffers.
When the money in the party vault rings, the OMD above the blocking limit bursts? Party Secretary Torkild Vederhus is MDG’s largest personal contributor.
It’s an election campaign! And election campaigns are expensive. With party-colored candies, red roses, blue caps, green pens and party waffles, the parties will fight to win the hearts of voters.
Party-colored waffles are to be sponsored by monetary donations, and these days they’re pouring in. While the Labor Party receives the millions thrown at it by its friends in the Union and LO, the Conservative Party is stuffing its wallet with contributions from business.
Small parties, on the other hand, receive far fewer gifts. But they need gifts, and they get gifts, if they have to give them to themselves.
I spent NOK 217,040 on my own land
The MDG’s party office in Oslo is home to the party’s most generous personal contributor so far this year: none other than the party’s chief executive, party secretary Torkil Vederhus.
– You must be the most dedicated party secretary in Norway?
Vederhus laughs.
– I think we are quite numerous in this competition there. But I’m probably leading this year in terms of monetary donations so far, he tells Aftenposten.
In addition to the days, evenings and nights as administrative head of the party, Vederhus spat a total of NOK 217,040 into party coffers.
Party secretary Torkild Vederhus (MDG) gives flowers and money to party leader Arild Hermstad.
– The most important project in Norwegian politics
No, then. He’s not a rich uncle. He regularly took money from his salary for a long time.
– I have no other more effective way than to use both my working day and the money to help solve the great challenges we face.
Unsurprisingly, these are the climate challenges that Vederhus talks about.
– I believe that the MDGs are the most important political project in Norwegian politics. The way we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions is through politics, he says and states:
– I’m really passionate about this project, and I think it’s useful to show that I don’t think everyone should contribute to it.
So far this year, party secretary Torkil Vederhus is the only one of the Storting’s party secretaries to have spat money into party coffers.
MDG summits give generously
The majority of contributions the party receives related to the election campaign are donations from individuals. It is necessary, whereas the party does not have the same financial power as the large ones.
– We have an uphill battle there too. Not only are we a new party, but we also have less money per vote.
A few steps to the left of the MDG, the Red Party introduced a separate party tax for its Storting politicians. Around NOK 280,000 of politicians’ salaries goes directly to the party.
This is not the case with the MDGs.
– But we have a tradition that party people contribute a lot, Vederhus said.
The most significant contributions, however, come from the party’s county council groups. Vestland reigns supreme with NOK 870,000 sent to Oslo. Inlanden throws just over half a million and cruises to second place, followed by Rogaland with half a million flat.
