Linda Cathrine Hofstad Helleland
Helleland in May 2010
Minister of Regional Development and Digitalisation
In office
24 January 2020 – 14 October 2021
Prime MinisterErna Solberg
Preceded byNikolai Astrup
Succeeded byKarianne Tung (2023)
Minister of Children and Equality
In office
17 January 2018 (2018-01-17) – 22 January 2019
Prime MinisterErna Solberg
Preceded bySolveig Horne
Succeeded byKjell Ingolf Ropstad
Minister of Culture
In office
16 December 2015 (2015-12-16) – 17 January 2018
Prime MinisterErna Solberg
Preceded byThorhild Widvey
Succeeded byTrine Skei Grande
Vice President of WADA
In office
20 November 2016 (2016-11-20) – 31 December 2019
PresidentCraig Reedie
Preceded byMakhenkesi Stofile
Succeeded byYang Yang
Personal details
Born (1977-08-26) 26 August 1977 (age 46)
Klæbu, Sør-Trøndelag, Norway
Political partyConservative
Spouse
​
(m. 2006)​
Children2

Linda Cathrine Hofstad Helleland (born 26 August 1977 in Klæbu) is a Norwegian politician for the Conservative Party. She held several ministerial positions in Erna Solberg's government between 2015 and 2021, with a break between 2019 and 2021.[1][2] She also served as Vice President of the World Anti-Doping Association from 2016 to 2019. In parliament, she has represented Sør-Trøndelag since 2009, and been a deputy representative between 2001 and 2009.

Political career

Parliament

She served as a deputy representative in the Norwegian Parliament from Sør-Trøndelag between 2001 to 2009. During the entire first term she deputised for Børge Brende, who was appointed to the second cabinet Bondevik. She was elected as a regular representative in 2009 and has been re-elected since. While serving in government between 2015 and 2019, Torhild Aarbergsbotten and Guro Angell Gimse deputised for her. Gimse did so again when Helleland was in government between 2020 and 2021.[3]

In parliament, she sat in the Standing Committee on Justice between 2001 and 2005. Between 2009 and 2013, she sat on the Standing Committee on Family and Cultural Affairs. That same year, she joined the Standing Committee on Transport and Communications, which she also led until her 2015 ministerial appointment. After returning to parliament in 2019, she joined the Standing Committee on Business and Industry, which she also rejoined following her ministerial appointment between 2020 and 2021.[3] In 2021, she also became her party's spokesperson for business and industry.[4]

Local politics

Helleland was a member of Trondheim city council from 1999 to 2001.

Minister of Culture

Helleland was appointed minister of culture in a cabinet reshuffle on 16 December 2015.[5]

As minister of culture, she oversaw the government's first culture message to Parliament in over 14 years,[6] and the separation between the Church of Norway and the state, which saw the church becoming a separate entity rather than an agency subjected to the state.[7]

Minister of Children and Equality

After the Liberal Party joined the Solberg cabinet on 17 January 2018, Hellelansd was appointed minister of children and equality.[8]

During her tenure, she faced criticism for not taking part in a BBC documentary about the Norwegian Child Welfare Services, which she later argued was because she was in no position to comment on individual cases. She further championed them as a leading example in taking care of children who has been victim to violence and would be an ideal model for other countries in years to come.[9][10][11]

In early 2019 she received the Norwegian Board of Health Supervision's report into several child welfare cases from municipalities, which included recommendations for measures to be taken at the municipal level to assist children. The report did however mention that the county wide services were sufficient. Helleland stated that the government would be prioritising more competence for child welfare workers rather then increasing the employment numbers.[12]

When the Christian Democratic Party joined the cabinet on 22 January 2019, Helleland was shuffled out of the cabinet and was succeeded by Kjell Ingolf Ropstad.[13]

Minister of Regional Development and Digitalisation

She rejoined the cabinet on 24 January 2020 upon being appointed minister of districts and digitalisation when the Progress Party withdrew from the government.[1]

Following the Solberg cabinet's defeat at the 2021 election, Helleland left her post on 14 October following the new cabinet's appointment. Her position was left vacant for the next two years until Karianne Tung was appointed to the post.[14][15]

Vice President of WADA

Helleland was elected vice president of the World Anti-Doping Agency in 2016 representing governments in WADAs Foundation Board and Executive Committee. Near the end of her term, she released a book, detailing her experiences as vice president. She described a toxic working environment and uses of threats and intimidation. Furthermore she described how she was gradually isolated from her coworkers and a deteriorating relationship with WADA President Craig Reedie.[16]

Personal life

She is married to Trond Helleland and has two sons.[17]

References

  1. ^ a b "Slik er Solberg-regjeringen 4.0" (in Norwegian). NRK. 24 January 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  2. ^ "Minister of Children and Equality Linda Hofstad Helleland". Government.no. 16 December 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Biografi: Helleland, Linda Hofstad" (in Norwegian). Stortinget.no. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  4. ^ "Tina Bru blir Høyres finanspolitiske talsperson" (in Norwegian). ABC Nyheter. 18 October 2021. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  5. ^ "Dette er Ernas nye statsråder" (in Norwegian). Verdens Gang. 16 December 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  6. ^ "Nå kommer meldingen Kultur-Norge har ventet på" (in Norwegian). Aftenposten. 9 March 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  7. ^ "Kirke og stat klar for tvetydig skilsmisse" (in Norwegian). Nettavisen. 26 December 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  8. ^ "Her er Erna Solbergs nye mannskap: – Vi skaper historie" (in Norwegian). NRK. 17 January 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  9. ^ "Helleland bommer i sitt forsøk på forsvar og forklaring" (in Norwegian). Aftenposten. 26 August 2018. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  10. ^ Helleland, Linda Hofstad (21 August 2018). "Jeg skal sørge for et barnevern som er der for barna, ikke kommentere enkeltsaker" (in Norwegian). Aftenposten. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  11. ^ "Barneministeren: – Norsk barnevern går foran. Snart vil andre land komme etter oss" (in Norwegian). Aftenposten. 29 August 2018. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  12. ^ "Helleland vil ikke ha flere, men flinkere ansatte i barnevernet" (in Norwegian). Fontene. 17 January 2019. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  13. ^ "Her er den nye regjeringen" (in Norwegian). Aftenposten. 22 January 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  14. ^ "Norge har fått ny regjering". NRK (in Norwegian). 14 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  15. ^ "Her er Støre sine nye statsrådar" (in Norwegian Nynorsk). NRK. 16 October 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  16. ^ "Helleland om WADA-miljøet: - Ble latterliggjort og skremt" (in Norwegian). Dagbladet. 14 November 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  17. ^ "Sønnen svevde mellom liv og død" (in Norwegian). Se og Hør. 1 April 2016. Retrieved 29 February 2024.

External sources

Political offices Preceded byThorhild Widvey Minister of Culture 2015–2018 Succeeded byTrine Skei Grande Preceded bySolveig Horne Minister of Children and Equality 2018–2019 Succeeded byKjell Ingolf Ropstad Preceded byNikolai Astrup Minister of Regional Development and Digitalisation 2020–2021 Succeeded byKarianne Tung (2023)
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