Changes among the political advisors

Due to today’s changes in the Government, the Office of the Prime Minister has made the following changes among the political advisors:

• the political advisor to Minister of Petroleum and Energy Åslaug Haga – Geir Pollestad – has resigned. He has been appointed state secretary to Minister of Petroleum and Energy Terje Riis-Johansen.
• the political advisors to Minister of Trade and Industry Dag Terje Andersen – Annelene Svingen (on leave) and Anne Margrete Blaker (acting) – have resigned. They have become political advisors to Minister of Trade and Industry Sylvia Brustad. Blaker will be acting while Svingen is acting state secretary to Sylvia Brustad.
• the political advisors to Minister of Labour and Social Inclusion Bjarne Håkon Hanssen – Ketil Lindseth, Hadia Tajik (on leave) and Lubna Jaffery Fjell (acting) – have resigned. Lindseth has become political advisor to Minister of Health and Care Services Bjarne Håkon Hanssen. Tajik will become political advisor to Minister of Labour and Social Inclusion Dag Terje Andersen when her period as acting political advisor to the Prime Minister is over. Fjell has become acting political advisor to Dag Terje Andersen during Tajik’s leave of absence.
• the political advisor to Minister of Health and Care Services Sylvia Brustad – Solveig Torsvik – has resigned.
• the political advisor to Minister of Agriculture and Food Terje Riis-Johansen – Sigrid Hjørnegård – has resigned. She has become political advisor to Minister of Petroleum and Energy Terje Riis-Johansen.

The Government represents the Labour Party (Lab.), the Socialist Left Party (Soc.) and the Centre Party (Cent.). The list of political advisors now is as follows:


To Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg (Lab.)
Ms. Mina Gerhardsen (Lab.) – leave of absence from 18 February 2008
Ms. Hadia Tajik (Lab.) – acting from 22 February 2008

To Minister of Finance Kristin Halvorsen (Soc.)
Ms. Sylvi Annie Bratten (Soc.)

To Minister of Agriculture and Food Lars Peder Brekk (Cent.)
… (Cent.)

To Minister of Foreign Affairs Jonas Gahr Støre (Lab.)
Ms. Gry Larsen (Lab.)

To Minister of Research and Higher Education Tora Aasland (Soc.)
Mr. Kyrre Lekve (Soc.)

To Minister of Local Government and Regional Development
Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa (Cent.)
Lars Erik Bartnes (Cent.)

To Minister of Defence Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen (Lab.)
Ms. Ragnhild Mathisen (Lab.)

To Minister of the Environment and International Development
Erik Solheim (Soc.)
Mr. Morten Wasstøl (Soc.) - environment affairs

To Minster of Labour and Social Inclusion Dag Terje Andersen (Lab.)
Ms. Hadia Tajik (Lab.) – leave of absence from 22 February 2008
Ms. Lubna Jaffery Fjell – acting from 10 March 2008

To Minister of Transport and Communications Liv Signe Navarsete (Cent.)
Ms. Anne Tingelstad Wøien (Cent.) 

To Minister of Health and Care Services Bjarne Håkon Hanssen (Lab.)
Mr. Ketil Lindseth (Lab.) 

To Minister of Justice Knut Storberget (Lab.)
Eirik Øwre Thorshaug (Lab.) 

To Minister of Culture and Church Affairs Trond Giske (Lab.)
Ms. Trine Synøve Lie Larsen (Lab.)

To Minister of Trade and Industry Sylvia Brustad (Lab.)
Ms. Annelene Svingen (Lab.) – leave of absence7 January-1 August 2008
Ms. Anne Margrete Blaker (Lab.) – acting 7 January-1 August 2008  

To Minister of Government Administration and Reform
Heidi Grande Røys (Soc.)
Mr. Jørund Leknes (Soc.) 

To Minister of Petroleum and Energy Terje Riis-Larsen (Cent.)
Ms. Sigrid Hjørnegård (Cent.) 

To Minister of Children and Equality Anniken Huitfeldt (Lab.)
Ms. Lotte Grepp Knutsen (Lab.) 

To Minister of Education Bård Vegar Solhjell (Soc.)
Mr. Audun Kolsrud Herning (Soc.)

To Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs Helga Pedersen (Lab.)

Mr. John Erik Pedersen (Lab.)