Ansgar Gabrielsen (born 21 May 1955 inMandal) is a Norwegian consultant and former politician for theConservative Party.
Ansgar Gabrielsen | |
|---|---|
| Minister of Health and Care Services | |
| In office 18 June 2004 – 17 October 2005 | |
| Prime Minister | Kjell Magne Bondevik |
| Preceded by | Dagfinn Høybråten |
| Succeeded by | Sylvia Brustad |
| Minister of Trade and Industry | |
| In office 19 October 2001 – 18 June 2004 | |
| Prime Minister | Kjell Magne Bondevik |
| Preceded by | Grete Knudsen |
| Succeeded by | Børge Brende |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1955-05-21)21 May 1955 (age 70) Mandal,Vest-Agder, Norway |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Occupation | Consultant and former politician |
He was born inMandal as a son of Terje Gabrielsen and Astrid Olsen. He is an insurance agent by education and worked in this profession before entering politics. He is also a trained officer in theNorwegian Defence Force. He was a member ofLindesnesmunicipal council from 1983 to 1993, the last six years as mayor.[1] His father Terje Gabrielsen has also been mayor of Lindesnes, from 1975 to 1979.[citation needed] Ansgar Gabrielsen also chaired his county party chapter from 1989 to 1990, and was a member of the Conservative Party central board during the same period.[1]
He was elected to theParliament of Norway fromVest-Agder in1993, and was re-elected on the two following occasions in1997 and2001. In 2001 Gabrielsen was appointedMinister of Trade and Industry as a part ofBondevik's Second Cabinet. Following the cabinet reshuffle in 2004 he becameMinister of Health and Care Services. While Gabrielsen was a cabinet member his seat in parliament was taken byPeter Skovholt Gitmark. Bondevik's Second Cabinet fell following the2005 election.[1]
While Minister of Trade and Industry, Gabrielsen was first criticized for his suggestion about a law that requires 40% of the board members in Norwegian companies to be female. The law was passed with the blessing of the socialist parties, but his own party opposed it.[1]
Gabrielsen moved from Lindesnes when being elected in 1993, and resided atØsterås.[2][3] He also kept his residential address inSpangereid, his constituent district. Towards the end of his cabinet tenure, he was reported as residing in a yacht atAker Brygge in Oslo. In2007 he stood for municipal re-election in Lindesnes, and won a seat. However, as it surfaced that he had recently bought an apartment in Oslo, he had to relinquish the seat.[4]
Gabrielsen started his own consultant company in 2006. In 2007 he became chairman of the Special Olympics and theNorwegian Council for Mental Health.[1]
In 2007, Tor Øystein Vaaland, former leader of the Norwegian Council for Mental Health, published the bookBrev til en minister (Letters to a Minister) based on private letters Gabrielsen received while he served as Minister of Health, with a focus on letters from people with psychiatric problems or drug addiction.[5] The book was published in 205,000 copies and distributed to Norwegian healthcare workers.[6]
Gabrielsen was decorated as a Commander of theOrder of St. Olav in 2005.[1] Gabrielsen is married and has four children.
In 2014 was elected as chairman of the board at CSAM Health.[7]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Norwegian Minister of Trade and Industry 2001–2004 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Norwegian Minister of Health and Care Services 2004–2005 | Succeeded by |
Kjell Magne Bondevik (KrF)
|  | |
