Helga Pedersen (Norway)

Not to be confused with Helga Kleiva Pedersen.

For other uses, see Helga Pedersen (disambiguation).

Helga Pedersen
Helga Pedersen in 2009
Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs
Incumbent
Assumed office 2005
Prime Minister	Jens Stoltenberg
Preceded by	Svein Ludvigsen
County mayor of Finnmark
In office 2003–2005
Preceded by	Evy-Ann Midttun
Succeeded by	Kirsti Saxi
Personal details
Born	January 13, 1973 (1973-01-13) (age 39) Sør-Varanger, Norway
Political party	Labour
Religion	Christianity

Helga Pedersen (born 13 January 1973 in Sør-Varanger) is the deputy leader for the Norwegian Labour Party.

From April to October 2001, during the first cabinet Stoltenberg, she was appointed political advisor in the Ministry of Industry and Trade. In 2005, during the second cabinet Stoltenberg, she was appointed Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs. Pedersen is the first politician of Sámi descent to have been member of any country's government, and also the first member of any ethnic minority hold a place in the Norwegian government.

On the local level she was a deputy member of Finnmark county council from 1999 to 2003, and county mayor from 2003 to 2005.

In 2007 she was elected as deputy leader of the Labour Party.

Following the 2009 election, Pedersen was chosen to be the parliamentary leader for the Labour Party in the Storting. She will therefore resign as fishery minister and leave the cabinet.

References

• "Helga Pedersen" (in Norwegian). Stortinget.no. http://www.stortinget.no/no/Representanter-og-komiteer/Representantene/Representantfordeling/Representant/?perid=HPED&tab=Biography. 

Preceded by Evy-Ann Midttun	County mayor of Finnmark 2003–2005	Succeeded by Kirsti Saxi
Preceded by Svein Ludvigsen	Norwegian Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs 2005–2009	Succeeded by Sylvia Brustad