Astrid Gjertsen

Astrid Gjertsen (14 September 1928 – 17 June 2020) was a Norwegian politician who served as a member of the Norwegian Parliament as a member of the Conservative Party from 1969 to 1989. From 1981 to 1986, she served as the Minister of Consumer Affairs and Administration. In 2013, Gjertsen was named as the ninth most important woman in Norwegian history by Verdens Gang.

Astrid Gjertsen

MP
Minister of Consumer Affairs and Administration
In office
14 October 1981 – 18 April 1986[1]
Prime MinisterKåre Willoch
Member of the Norwegian Parliament
In office
1969–1989
ConstituencyAust-Agder
Personal details
Born(1928-09-14)14 September 1928
Horsens, Denmark
Died17 June 2020(2020-06-17) (aged 91)
Bærum, Norway
Political partyConservative
Spouse(s)John Herbert Gjertsen

Early life

Astrid Gjertsen was born on 14 September 1928, in Horsens, Denmark, to Senius Spaabæk and Helga Mogensen. She graduated from high school in Horsens in 1946.[2][3]

In 1945, she worked for the Youth Red Cross where she met John Herbert Gjertsen, a Norwegian who had been a prisoner of war in a concentration camp during World War II since 1942 for his involvement in a resistance movement.[4] On 21 September 1946, she married Gjertsen.[5][6] During her marriage, she lived in Oslo, Norway, and later in Borøya, Aust-Agder, Norway.[7][3]

Career

Local politics

In 1967, Gjertsen was elected to the Tvedestrand municipal council and served until 1975.[3] From 1972 to 1975, she served as the leader of the Conservatives in Tvedestrand.[8]

Parliament

In 1969, she was elected as a deputy representative to the Norwegian Parliament from Aust-Agder, and later as a parliamentary representative in 1973, as a member of the Conservative Party. From 1978 to 1982, she served as the 2nd Deputy Chairman of the Right.[3][9][8]

In 1974, she served as a deputy representative to the United Nations General Assembly. In 1978, she served as a member of the parliamentary delegation to the Nordic Council.[1]

On 14 October 1981, she became the Minister of State in the Ministry of Consumers and Administration.[8] She was one of four women in Kåre Willoch's cabinet.[10] During her tenure, the telephone monopoly was disbanded; she supported deregulation, and supported allowing for longer shopping hours and Sunday shopping.[11]

On 18 April 1986, she resigned from her ministry position and was convicted for turning in NOK 32,061 worth of fraudulent taxi receipts.[12][13] She was given a 45-day suspended sentence and paid the money back; the punishment was higher than usual due to her political position.[12][13][14] Gjertsen stopped being a deputy representative in 1989.[1]

Later life

In a 2013 ranking compiled by the political editors of Verdens Gang, Gjertsen was rated the ninth most important woman in Norwegian history.[9] On 17 June 2020, she died in Bærum, Norway.[1][3]

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References
  1. "Biografi: Gjertsen, Astrid". Stortinget (in Norwegian). Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  2. "Former Minister Astrid Gjertsen (H) is dead. She turned 91 years old". ABC Nyheter. 17 June 2020. Archived from the original on 18 June 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  3. "Astrid Gjertsen". Great Norwegian Encyclopedia (in Norwegian). 18 June 2020. Archived from the original on 18 June 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  4. "Pensjonisten Page 45" (PDF). Pensjonisten.
  5. "Astrid Gjertsen Biography". Norwegian Biographical Lexicon. 13 February 2009. Archived from the original on 18 June 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  6. "The Danish-born minister in Norway". ABC Nyheter. 19 October 2009. Archived from the original on 18 June 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  7. "Tidligere statsråd Astrid Gjertsen er død". Aftenposten. 18 June 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  8. "Astrid Gjertsen". Høyre. 6 February 2018. Archived from the original on 18 June 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  9. ""The mother of open society", Astrid Gjertsen, turns 90". Høyre. 14 September 2018. Archived from the original on 18 June 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  10. "Oslo Conservatives inherit disorder in Lapps' Valley". The Guardian. 30 September 1981. p. 8. Retrieved 28 June 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "One of the most important women in Norwegian history". Tvedestrandsposten. 9 June 2013. Archived from the original on 19 June 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  12. "Shamed politician resigns from party". News in English. 21 October 2019. Archived from the original on 18 June 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  13. "Mazyar Keshvari er dømt til syv måneders fengsel. Stortinget vil ikke gi ham godtgjørelse mens han soner". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). 2 April 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  14. "Astrid Gjertsen dømt til 45 dagers betinget fengsel for grovt bedrageri Dagsnytt" (in Norwegian). National Library of Norway. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
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