Ragnar Christiansen

Ragnar Karl Viktor Christiansen (born December 28, 1922 in Drammen , Fylke Buskerud ; † February 18, 2019 ) was a Norwegian politician of the Arbeiderpartiet (Ap), who was a member of the Storting for almost 20 years and was finance minister in the first government between 1971 and 1972 from Minister of State Trygve Bratteli and from 1976 to 1977 Minister of Transport in the government of Prime Minister Odvar Nordli . He later served as Fylkesmann of Fylke Buskerud between 1980 and 1988 .

Life

Railway workers and local politicians

Christiansen, son of the gardener Hans Rudolf Christiansen and the worker Elsa Viktoria Sjøgren, began working as a messenger for the state railway company Norges Statsbaner in the Drammen district after completing secondary school in 1940 and became a traffic student there in 1941. After graduating from the railway school (Jernbaneskolen) he became a telegraph operator in the NSB district of Drammen in 1942 and worked there until 1957.

During this time Christiansen also began his political career in local politics and between 1945 and 1955 was a member of the local council of Nedre Eiker as a representative of the Ap, and he was the mayor from 1955 to 1957. At the same time he was between 1955 and 1957 a member of the provincial parliament ( Fylkesting ) of Buskerud and was then from 1957 to 1957 on the municipality board of Nordre Eiker. In addition, he was between 1946 and 1947 chairman of the youth union of the workers' party AUF ( Arbeidernes Ungdomsfylking ) in Fylke Buskerud and from 1948 to 1954 for the first time chairman of the Ap of Nedre Eiker.

After studying in the USA , he was responsible for freight transport in the Drammen district from 1957 to 1961, and was ultimately its head between 1961 and 1977.

Storting member and party official

After until he 1950 election on October 6, 1957 Deputy Member of the Storting was for Fylke Buskerud, he was elected in 1958 for the Arbeiderpartiet a member of the Storting and represented there for almost 20 years until the election on September 12, 1977 also the Fylke Buskerud, where he has held the first place on the list for the Fylke since the election of September 13, 1965 .

Furthermore, Christiansen acted between 1953 and 1960 as chairman of the consumer council and from 1957 to 1963 as chairman of the quality control committee for consumables. He was also chairman of the Workers' Party in Fylke Buskerud between 1955 and 1966 and again chairman of Ap von Nedre Eike from 1961 to 1962.

He was also a vice member of the national executive committee from 1963 to 1965 and a vice member of the central executive committee of the Norwegian Workers' Party between 1965 and 1977.

During his membership in parliament, Christiansen was from October 1, 1965 to March 17, 1971 secretary of the parliamentary committee of the Arbeiderpartiet in Storting. He was also between October 15, 1965 and September 30, 1967 Vice-Chairman of the Storting Committee for Finance and Customs and then from October 1, 1967 to March 17, 1971 Vice-Chairman of the Storting Finance Committee. In addition, he was again chairman of Nedre Eiker's Ap from 1966 to 1969.

Minister and Fylkesmann

On March 17, 1971 he was appointed by Prime Minister Trygve Bratteli as Minister of Finance ( Finance Minister ) in his first government, which he belonged to the end of Bratteli's term on October 18, 1972.

Then he was from October 1, 1973 to January 15, 1976 vice-chairman of the Ap im Storting and at the same time between October 18, 1973 and January 15, 1976 chairman of the finance committee of the Storting.

In the government of Prime Minister Odvar Nordli Christiansen became Transport Minister (Samferdselsminister) on January 15, 1976 and held this ministerial office until the cabinet reshuffle on January 11, 1978. His successor was Asbjørn Jordahl .

After leaving the government and Storting, Christiansen first became a member of the provincial government (Fylkesrådmann) of Buskerud in 1978 , before he succeeded Gunnar Alf Larsen as regional president (Fylkesmann) of the Buskerud province in 1980 and held this office until he was replaced by Leif Haraldseth in 1988 clothed.

In addition, he served as chairman of the provincial tax court of Buskerud between 1980 and 1988 and as chairman of the National Wage Arbitration Board (Rikslønnsnemnda) from 1980 to 1982 . From 1983 to 1992 he was also chairman of the board of directors of the State Grain Association (Statens Kornforretning) , a state-owned company founded in 1928 to guarantee farmers access to and provision of grain in times of crisis in order to prevent famine and the closure of businesses. Later, from 1989 to 1992, Christiansen was still chairman of the committee for the division of territories between municipalities and provinces.

publication

• Fra storting og styringsverk: erindringer fra et liv i politisk arbeid , autobiography, 2006

Web links

• Entry on the homepage of the Storting
• Biography in the store norske leksikon