Ansgar Gabrielsen

He was born in Mandal 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 the Norwegian Defence Force. He was a member of Lindesnes municipal 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. 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 the Parliament of Norway from Vest-Agder in 1993, and was re-elected on the two following occasions in 1997 and 2001. In 2001 Gabrielsen was appointed Minister of Trade and Industry as a part of Bondevik's Second Cabinet. Following the cabinet reshuffle in 2004 he became Minister of Health and Care Services. While Gabrielsen was a cabinet member his seat in parliament was taken by Peter Skovholt Gitmark. Bondevik's Second Cabinet fell following the 2005 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 at Østerås.[2][3] He also kept his residential address in Spangereid, his constituent district. Towards the end of his cabinet tenure, he was reported as residing in a yacht at Aker Brygge in Oslo. In 2007 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 the Norwegian Council for Mental Health.[1]

In 2007, Tor Øystein Vaaland, former leader of the Norwegian Council for Mental Health, published the book Brev 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 the Order 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]