Changes in the Government

In today’s session of the Council of State, several changes in the Government were made. New ministers are Grete Faremo, Sigbjørn Johnsen, Karl Eirik Schjøtt-Pedersen, Rigmor Aasrud, Hanne Bjurstrøm, Lisbeth Berg-Hansen and Audun Lysbakken. Other ministers have got new fields of responsibility. The changes will be effective as of 3 pm today.

Ministers leaving the Government

Minister of Health and Care Services Bjarne Håkon Hanssen, Minister of Trade and Industry Sylvia Brustad, Minister of Government Administration and Reform Heidi Grande Røys and Minister of Education Bård Vegar Solhjell have been honourably discharged from their posts.

Ministers with new fields of responsibility

• Minister of Finance Kristin Halvorsen becomes Minister of Education
• Minister of Transport and Communications Liv Signe Navarsete becomes Minister of Local Government and Regional Development
• Minister of  Local Government and Regional Development Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa becomes Minister of Transport and Communications
• Minister of Defence Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen becomes Minister of Health and Care Services
• Minister of Justice and the Police Knut Storberget will also be Minister of Immigration
• Minister of Culture and Church Affairs Trond Giske becomes Minister of Trade and Industry
• Minister of Children and Equality Anniken Huitfeldt becomes Minister of Culture.
  

New ministers:

• Ms. Grete Faremo, partner, Oslo. Minister of Defence.
• Mr. Sigbjørn Johnsen, county governor, Hamar. Minister of Finance.
• Mr. Karl Eirik Schjøtt-Pedersen, state secretary, Vardø. Minister at the Office of the Prime Minister. As chief of staff he will assist the Prime Minister in his work, without separate fields of responsibility.
• Ms. Rigmor Aasrud, Member of Storting, Gran at Hadeland. Minister of Reform and Church Affairs. Until 20 December 2009 she will also be Minister of Labour. Also Minister for Nordic cooperation.
• Ms. Hanne Bjurstrøm, special adviser, Oslo. Minister, until 20 December 2009 assisting Minister Erik Solheim in international climate negotiations. From 21 December 2009 she will be Minister of Labour.
• Ms. Lisbeth Berg-Hansen, Bindal, Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs.
• Mr. Audun Lysbakken, Member of Storting, Bergen, Minister of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion.

Formal changes in the ministries

It is intended that formal changes in the ministries resulting from today’s changes in the Government, will be carried out as of 1 January 2010, after a proposal for additional grants has been presented to the Storting. Ministers taking over the responsibility for departments or sections in other ministries, do this already today.

It is also the intention to establish three new ministries as of 1 January 2010, a ministry of labour, a ministry of children, equality and social inclusion and a ministry of reform and church affairs.

The new Ministry of Labour will consist of the present Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion, except its departments of immigration, integration and diversity and Sami policy.
 
The Government represents the Labour Party (Lab.), the Socialist Left Party (Soc.) and the Centre Party (Cent.). The government list is now as follows:

 

Prime Minister
Mr. Jens Stoltenberg (Lab.)

Minister of Education
Ms. Kristin Halvorsen (Soc.)

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development
Ms. Liv Signe Navarsete (Cent.)

Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Jonas Gahr Støre (Lab.)

Minister of Defence
Ms. Grete Faremo (Lab.)

Minister of Finance
Mr. Sigbjørn Johnsen (Lab.)

Minister of Trade and Industry
Mr. Trond Giske (Lab.)

Minister of Transport and Communications
Ms. Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa (Cent.)

Minister of Health and Care Services
Ms. Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen (Lab.)

Minister of the Environment and International Development
Mr. Erik Solheim (Soc.)

Minister of Justice and the Police
Mr. Knut Storberget (Lab.)

Minister of Petroleum and Energy
Mr. Terje Riis-Johansen (Cent.)

Minister at the Office of the Prime Minister
Mr. Karl Eirik Schjøtt-Pedersen (Lab.)

Minister of Research and Higher Education
Ms. Tora Aasland (Soc.)

Minister of Culture
Ms. Anniken Huitfeldt (Lab.)

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

Minister of Reform and Church Affairs
- also Minister of Labour until 20 December 2009.
Also Minister for Nordic cooperation.
Ms. Rigmor Aasrud (Lab.)

Minister and Chief Negotiator in climate negotiations,
from 21 December 2009 Minister of Labour
Ms. Hanne Bjurstrøm (Lab.)

Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs
Ms. Lisbeth Berg-Hansen (Lab.)

Minister of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion
Mr. Audun Lysbakken (Soc.)