Olav Gunnar Ballo (born 22 October 1956) is a Norwegian former politician for the Socialist Left Party (SV). Ballo changed party to Arbeiderpartiet in 2011.^[1] Ballo was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Finnmark in 1997. He studied medicine at University of Würzburg, and has worked as a medical doctor. Ballo represented SV in Alta municipality council from 1991 to 1997. Ballo was the leader of the National Forensics Institute ("Rettsmedisinsk institutt") in Norway between 2009 and 2010/2011.

Ballo lost his daughter Kaja Bordevich Ballo in 2008. She committed suicide on 28 March 2008. This happened some hours after she had taken a Scientology personality test. The news made the front page of Norway's biggest newspapers, such as Verdens Gang and Dagbladet.^[2] Ballo divorced his first wife of 15 years in 1998. In 1999 he met, and later married, Heidi Sørensen, a politician for the Socialist Left.^[3]

Parliamentary Presidium duties

• 2005 – 2009 Vice President of the Odelsting.
• 1997 – 2001 Vice Secretary of the Odelsting.

Parliamentary Committee duties

• 2005 – 2009 member of the Standing Committee on Justice.
• 2001 – 2005 member of the Standing Committee on Labour and Social Affairs.
• 1997 – 2001 member of the Standing Committee on Labour and Social Affairs.

Works

Books

• Ballo, Olav Gunnar (2009). Kaja: 1988-2008 (in Norwegian). Norway: Cappelen Damm. ISBN 978-82-02-28932-4.