Idar Olav Norstrand was a Norwegian civil servant and politician for the Labour Party

Norwegian Labour Party

The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is the senior partner in the current Norwegian government as part of the Red-Green Coalition, and its leader, Jens Stoltenberg, is the current Prime Minister of Norway....

.

He worked as a mail carrier

Mail carrier

A mail carrier, mailman, postal carrier, postman, postwoman , postman/postwoman , letter carrier or postie is an employee of the post office or postal service, who delivers mail and parcel post to residences and businesses...

 from 1934 to 1941, and later as personnel director in Norway Post from 1957 to 1982. From 1941 to 1945, during the German occupation of Norway, he fled to Stockholm, Sweden and worked at the Norwegian legation

Norwegian legation in Stockholm

The Norwegian Legation in Stockholm played a significant role during the Second World War. Until 9 April 1940 the legation consisted of four persons, and at the end of the war about 1,100 persons were connected to the legation. Refugee cases were among the legation's most central tasks...

 there. From 1946 to 1951 he chaired the post workers' trade union Norsk Postforbund.

From 1964 to 1965, during the fourth cabinet Gerhardsen

Fourth cabinet Gerhardsen

Gerhardsen's Fourth Cabinet governed Norway between 25 September 1963 and 12 October 1965. The Labour Party cabinet was led by Einar Gerhardsen. It had the following composition:-Cabinet members:-State Secretaries:-References:* - Regjeringen.no...

, he was appointed Minister of Wages and Prices.