Arne Rettedal
Encyclopedia
Arne Rettedal was Norwegian
engineer, businessperson and politician for the Conservative Party. He is best known as the Minister of Local Government and Labour
from 1981 to 1986, mayor of Stavanger from 1965 to 1967 and 1972 to 1981 and county mayor of Rogaland
from 1988 to 1991.
He was born in Madla
as a son of farmer Ola Rettedal (1882–1956) and Rakel Kristine Berge (1884–1963). He finished
his secondary education in 1947, and enrolled at the Norwegian Institute of Technology
where he graduated in engineering in 1957. He worked four years as an engineer before he started his own consulting
company. Within local politics, he was a member of Madla municipal council from 1960 to 1964, serving as mayor in the last year. From 1965 to 1981 he was a member of Stavanger
city council, serving as mayor from 1965 to 1967 and 1972 to 1981. He was also a member of Rogaland
county council
from 1967 to 1981, serving as deputy county mayor from 1967 to 1971. As a politician in Stavanger and Rogaland, he is co-credited with bringing the headquarters of Statoil
and the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate
to Stavanger. He was a member of Statoil's corporate council from 1975.
From 1981 to 1986 he served as Minister of Local Government and Labour
in the First and Second Cabinet of Kåre Willoch
. In this position, he is especially known for carrying through the government's housing policy. He is also known for the numerous labour conflicts in the petroleum industry during his period. Also, from 1990 to 1995 Rettedal was the board chairman of the Norwegian State Railways, where he again went through labour-related conflicts, this time with the Norwegian Union of Railway Workers
leader Leif Thue
. He also had rows with deputy director Tore Lindholt
.
From 1988 to 1991 he served as County mayor of Rogaland
. He tried to become county mayor after the 1991 election
too, but lost out to Odd Arild Kvaløy
. Kvaløy received 37 votes in the county council, whereas Rettedal received 28 votes and Kari Oftedal Lima received 6. The 28 votes were cast as blank vote
s in the vote for deputy county mayor; Kjell Erfjord
received support from the 37 and Lima from the 6. Rettedal stood for mayoral election in 1995
, but his candidacy was not voted upon in the county council.
In 1993 he was decorated as a Knight, First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav. Festschrift
s were issued both on Rettedal's fiftieth and sixtieth birthdays, and he was biographed in 1998, in Thorbjørn Kindingstad's book Maktens byggherre. Historien om politikeren, ingeniøren og småbrukeren Arne Rettedal. He was married since 1954, and died on 28 December 2001 in Stavanger.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
engineer, businessperson and politician for the Conservative Party. He is best known as the Minister of Local Government and Labour
Minister of Local Government and Regional Development (Norway)
The Minister of Local Government and Regional Development is a Norwegian minister that is head of the Norwegian Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development...
from 1981 to 1986, mayor of Stavanger from 1965 to 1967 and 1972 to 1981 and county mayor of Rogaland
Rogaland county municipality
Rogaland County Municipality is the regional governing administration of Rogaland, Norway. The main responsibilities of the county municipality includes the running of 29 upper secondary schools. It administrates the county roadways, public transport, dental care, culture and cultural heritage...
from 1988 to 1991.
He was born in Madla
Madla
-History:Madla municipality was created by a split from Håland in 1930. At that time Madla had a population of 1,091. On 1 January 1965 Madla was incorporated into Stavanger along with the majority of Hetland municipality...
as a son of farmer Ola Rettedal (1882–1956) and Rakel Kristine Berge (1884–1963). He finished
Examen artium
Examen artium was the name of the academic certification conferred in Denmark and Norway, qualifying the student for admission to university studies. Examen artium was originally introduced as the entrance exam of the University of Copenhagen in 1630...
his secondary education in 1947, and enrolled at the Norwegian Institute of Technology
Norwegian Institute of Technology
The Norwegian Institute of Technology, known by its Norwegian abbrevation NTH was a science institute in Trondheim, Norway. It was established in 1910, and existed as an independent technical university for 85 years, after which it was merged into the University of Trondheim as an independent...
where he graduated in engineering in 1957. He worked four years as an engineer before he started his own consulting
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
company. Within local politics, he was a member of Madla municipal council from 1960 to 1964, serving as mayor in the last year. From 1965 to 1981 he was a member of Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
city council, serving as mayor from 1965 to 1967 and 1972 to 1981. He was also a member of Rogaland
Rogaland
is a county in Western Norway, bordering Hordaland, Telemark, Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder. It is the center of the Norwegian petroleum industry, and as a result of this, Rogaland has the lowest unemployment rate of any county in Norway, 1.1%...
county council
County council (Norway)
A County Council is the highest governing body of the county municipalities in Norway. The county council sets the scope of the county municipal activity. The council is led by a chairman or county mayor...
from 1967 to 1981, serving as deputy county mayor from 1967 to 1971. As a politician in Stavanger and Rogaland, he is co-credited with bringing the headquarters of Statoil
Statoil
Statoil ASA is a Norwegian petroleum company established in 1972. It merged with Norsk Hydro in 2007 and was known as StatoilHydro until 2009, when the name was changed back to Statoil ASA. The brand Statoil was retained as a chain of fuel stations owned by StatoilHydro...
and the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate
Norwegian Petroleum Directorate
The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate or OD is a Norwegian government agency responsible for the regulation of the petroleum resources on the Norwegian continental shelf. Based in Stavanger it is to ensure that the petroleum resources are allocated in an optimal at the same time as they incur...
to Stavanger. He was a member of Statoil's corporate council from 1975.
From 1981 to 1986 he served as Minister of Local Government and Labour
Minister of Local Government and Regional Development (Norway)
The Minister of Local Government and Regional Development is a Norwegian minister that is head of the Norwegian Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development...
in the First and Second Cabinet of Kåre Willoch
Kåre Willoch
Kåre Isaachsen Willoch is a Norwegian politician from the Conservative Party. He served as Minister of Trade and Shipping in 1963 and 1965–1970, and as Prime Minister of Norway from 1981 to 1986...
. In this position, he is especially known for carrying through the government's housing policy. He is also known for the numerous labour conflicts in the petroleum industry during his period. Also, from 1990 to 1995 Rettedal was the board chairman of the Norwegian State Railways, where he again went through labour-related conflicts, this time with the Norwegian Union of Railway Workers
Norwegian Union of Railway Workers
The Norwegian Union of Railway Workers is a trade union in Norway. It was formed on 20 November 1892, and mainly organizes workers in Norges Statsbaner—with the exception of locomotive drivers— and the Norwegian National Rail Administration, including related companies such as...
leader Leif Thue
Leif Thue
Leif Thue was a Norwegian trade unionist.He was born in Balestrand. He served as leader of the Norwegian Union of Railway Workers from 1984 to 1992, having served as deputy leader from 1976 to 1984 and secretary from 1971 to 1976. As union leader he was also a board member of the Norwegian State...
. He also had rows with deputy director Tore Lindholt
Tore Lindholt
Tore Lindholt is a Norwegian economist, civil servant and politician for the Labour Party. He was twice the acting director of the Norwegian State Railways, and Folketrygdfondet from 1990 to 2004....
.
From 1988 to 1991 he served as County mayor of Rogaland
Rogaland county municipality
Rogaland County Municipality is the regional governing administration of Rogaland, Norway. The main responsibilities of the county municipality includes the running of 29 upper secondary schools. It administrates the county roadways, public transport, dental care, culture and cultural heritage...
. He tried to become county mayor after the 1991 election
Norwegian local elections, 1991
Country-wide local elections for seats in municipality and county councils were held throughout Norway in 1991. For most places this meant that two elections, the municipal elections and the county elections ran concurrently.-Municipal elections:...
too, but lost out to Odd Arild Kvaløy
Odd Arild Kvaløy
Odd Arild Kvaløy is a Norwegian politician for the Centre Party. He is best known as the county mayor of Rogaland from 1991 to 1999, being Rogaland's first county mayor to win re-election....
. Kvaløy received 37 votes in the county council, whereas Rettedal received 28 votes and Kari Oftedal Lima received 6. The 28 votes were cast as blank vote
Protest vote
A protest vote is a vote cast in an election to demonstrate the caster's unhappiness with the choice of candidates or refusal of the current political system...
s in the vote for deputy county mayor; Kjell Erfjord
Kjell Erfjord
Kjell Erfjord is a Norwegian former educator and politician for the Christian Democratic Party.He was born in Hjelmeland as a son of Bernt Erfjord and Karen Hagen . He was educated in Årdal and Stavanger before attending the Norwegian College of Teaching from 1966 to 1970...
received support from the 37 and Lima from the 6. Rettedal stood for mayoral election in 1995
Norwegian local elections, 1995
Country-wide local elections for seats in municipality and county councils were held throughout Norway in 1995. For most places this meant that two elections, the municipal elections and the county elections ran concurrently.-Municipal elections:...
, but his candidacy was not voted upon in the county council.
In 1993 he was decorated as a Knight, First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav. Festschrift
Festschrift
In academia, a Festschrift , is a book honoring a respected person, especially an academic, and presented during his or her lifetime. The term, borrowed from German, could be translated as celebration publication or celebratory writing...
s were issued both on Rettedal's fiftieth and sixtieth birthdays, and he was biographed in 1998, in Thorbjørn Kindingstad's book Maktens byggherre. Historien om politikeren, ingeniøren og småbrukeren Arne Rettedal. He was married since 1954, and died on 28 December 2001 in Stavanger.