The salary of Dorgil Wederhus, the party secretary, did not go into the bank account before part of it went back into party coffers.
As the money rings in the party’s chest, will the MDG explode over the barrier? Party secretary Torkild Weatherhus is MDG’s largest individual contributor.
It’s an election campaign! And election campaigns are expensive. With party colored candies, red roses, blue caps, green pens and party waffles, parties will fight to win the hearts of voters.
Party-colored waffles are provided by monetary donations, and these days they’re rolling. Høyre lines its coffers with contributions from the business world, despite receiving millions from Labour, the unions and its friends in LO.
On the other hand, smaller parties tend to receive fewer gifts. But they need gifts, and they get gifts if they have to give them.
I spent NOK 217,040 on my own land
MDG’s party office in Oslo has been the party’s most generous individual contributor so far this year: it’s none other than the party’s own chief executive and party secretary, Dorgil Wederhus.
– Do you want to be Norway’s most dedicated party secretary?
Waderhus laughs.
– I think there are some of us in that match. But so far I’m leading this year in monetary donations, he tells Optenposten.
During the day, evening and night as the party’s executive manager, Vaderhus has poured a total of NOK 217,040 into the party coffers.
Party secretary Torkild Wederhus (MDG) gives party leader Arild Hermstadt both flowers and money.
– The most important project in Norwegian politics
No, then. He is not some rich uncle. He has been steadily withdrawing money from his salary for a long time.
– I have no other efficient way than to use both my working day and my money to contribute to solving the major challenges I face.
Unsurprisingly, it’s climate challenges that Weatherhus is talking about.
– I believe that the MDGs are the most important political project in Norwegian politics. The way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is through politics, he says:
– I am very interested in this project and I think it will be useful to show that I don’t think only others should contribute.
So far this year, party secretary Dorgil Wederhus is the only party secretary of the Storting parties to have splashed money into party coffers.
MDG Summits donate generously
Most of the party’s campaign contributions are gifts from individuals. It needs, all the time, the party doesn’t have the same financial muscle as the big guys.
– We have an uphill battle there too. Not only are we a new party, but we also have less money.
A few steps to the left of the MDG, the Red Party has established a separate party line for its politicians in Storting. A politician’s salary of NOK 280,000 goes directly back to the party.
It is not in the MDGs.
– But we have a tradition of people in the party contributing a lot, says Vaderhus.
However, the largest contributions come from the party’s district council committees. Westland sent NOK 870,000 to Oslo. Inlandon came in second with more than half a million, followed by Rogaland with half a million flats.
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