Bjarne Håkon Hanssen

Bjarne Håkon Hanssen, (born 1 November 1962) was the Norwegian Minister of Health from 20 June 2008 as part of the second cabinet Stoltenberg. On 8 October 2009 Hansen announced that he would step down as a minister when Stoltenberg's new cabinet is put together. He was Minister of Agriculture from 2000 to 2001 and Minister of Labour and Social Inclusion from 2005 to 2008. As a minister he was both liked for his down to earth attitude, but also got a lot of criticism because of statements like “People on benefit must get up in the morning”.He is a member of the Norwegian Labour Party.

Hanssen graduated from Namsos Upper Secondary School in 1981 and from Levanger Teacher College in 1985. He worked within the psychiatric services before becoming administrative chief for Fosen municipality in 1989. He was first elected to the Nord-Trøndelag county council in 1983. In 1995 he was elected County Mayor, but was then elected to Storting two years later. In 2000 he was appointed Minister of Agriculture, serving until 2001. He became Minister of Labour and Social Inclusion in 2005; in June 2008 he was moved to the post of Minister of Health.