The Minister of Transport and Communications is a Councillor of State and Chief of the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications

Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications

The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Transportation and Communications is a Norwegian ministry established in 1946, and is responsible for transportation and communication infrastructure in Norway. It is led by Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa...

. Since 20 October 2009, the position has been held by Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa

Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa

Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa is a Norwegian politician for the Centre Party. She was the Minister of Social Affairs from 1997 to 2000 and was appointed Norwegian Minister of Local Government and Regional Development on 21 September 2007. On 20 October 2009, she swapped departments and became Minister...

 of the Centre Party

Centre Party (Norway)

The Centre Party is a centrist and agrarian political party in Norway, founded in 1920. The Centre Party's policy is not based on any of the major ideologies of the 19th and 20th century, but has a focus on maintaining decentralised economic development and political decision-making.From its...

. The ministry is responsible for policy and public operations within postal services, telecommunications, civil aviation

Civil aviation

Civil aviation is one of two major categories of flying, representing all non-military aviation, both private and commercial. Most of the countries in the world are members of the International Civil Aviation Organization and work together to establish common standards and recommended practices...

, public roads

Road transport

Road transport or road transportation is transport on roads of passengers or goods. A hybrid of road transport and ship transport is the historic horse-drawn boat.-History:...

, rail transport

Rail transport

Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...

 and public transport

Public transport

Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...

, including ferry

Ferry

A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...

 services that are part of national roads

Norwegian national road

Norwegian national road , are roads thus categorized by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration which also maintains them...

. The ministry has seven agencies and four limited companies, including the airport operator Avinor

Avinor

Avinor AS is a state owned limited company in that operates most of the civil airports in Norway. The Norwegian state, via the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications controls 100 percent of the share capital. Avinor was created on 1 January 2003, by the privatization of the...

, the Norwegian National Rail Administration, the Norwegian State Railways, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration

Norwegian Public Roads Administration

The Norwegian Public Roads Administration is a Norwegian government agency responsible for the state and county public roads in the country. This includes planning, construction and operation of the state and county road networks, driver training and licensing, vehicle inspection and subsidies to...

 and Norway Post. There are also inspectorates and authorities related to accident investigation, cableways

Technical Supervisory Authority for Cableways (Norway)

The Technical Supervisory Authority for Cableways is the Norwegian authority responsible for cableways, including cable cars, aerial tramways, funiculars, ski lifts and similar installations. The authority has since 1 July 1977 been performed by the Trondheim office of Det Norske Veritas on...

, civil aviation

Civil Aviation Authority of Norway

Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority is the Norwegian inspectorate responsible for civil aviation in Norway. It is subordinate the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications and is located in Bodø....

, post and telecommunications

Norwegian Post and Telecommunications Authority

Norwegian Post and Telecommunications Authority is a Norwegian government agency responsible for controlling and regulating the telecommunication and postal sector of Norway...

, and railways

Norwegian Railway Inspectorate

The Norwegian Railway Inspectorate is a Norwegian government agency responsible for control and supervision of rail transport in Norway, including railways, tramways, rapid transits, heritage railways and side tracks....

.

The position was created with the ministry on 22 February 1946, when Nils Langhelle

Nils Langhelle

Nils Langhelle was a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party and Minister of Labour 1945-1946, Norway's first Minister of Transport and Communications 1946-1951 and 1951–1952, Minister of Defense 1952-1954, Minister of Trade and Shipping 1954-1955 and President of the Storting from May 7, 1958...

 (Labour

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....

) was appointed. The ministry and minister position were split out from the Ministry of Labour. Twenty-seven people have held the position, representing five parties. Sixteen people have represented the Labour Party, five the Centre Party and two each from the Christian Democratic Party, the Conservative Party

Conservative Party of Norway

The Conservative Party is a Norwegian political party. The current leader is Erna Solberg. The party was since the 1920s consistently the second largest party in Norway, but has been surpassed by the growth of the Progress Party in the late 1990s and 2000s...

 and the Liberal Party. The longest-sitting minister is Kjell Opseth

Kjell Opseth

Kjell Olav Opseth is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. He was Minister of Transport and Communications 1990-1996 and Minister of Local Government Affairs 1996-1997.-References:...

 (Labour) who sat a week short of six years. Lars Leiro

Lars Leiro

Lars Leiro was a Norwegian politician for the Centre Party.He was born in Haus.He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Hordaland in 1958, and was re-elected on two occasions. From August to September 1963 he served as the Minister of Transport and Communications during the short-lived...

 (Centre) sat for only four weeks, giving him the shortest tenure. He both succeeded and preceded Trygve Bratteli

Trygve Bratteli

was a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party and Prime Minister of Norway in 1971–1972 and 1973–1976.-Early life and career:...

, the only person to have held the position twice and the only officeholder to later become Prime Minister

Prime Minister of Norway

The Prime Minister of Norway is the political leader of Norway and the Head of His Majesty's Government. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Stortinget , to their political party, and ultimately the...

.

Key

The following lists the minister, their party, date of assuming and leaving office, their tenure in years and days, and the cabinet they served in.

Ministers

Name	Party	Took office	Left office	Tenure	Cabinet	| Ref
	Labour 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....				Gerhardsen II Gerhardsen's Second Cabinet Gerhardsen's Second Cabinet governed Norway between 5 November 1945 and 19 November 1951. The Labour Party cabinet was led by Einar Gerhardsen.... Torp Torp's Cabinet Torp's Cabinet governed Norway between 19 November 1951 and 21 January 1955. The Labour Party cabinet was led by Oscar Torp....
	Labour 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....				Torp Torp's Cabinet Torp's Cabinet governed Norway between 19 November 1951 and 21 January 1955. The Labour Party cabinet was led by Oscar Torp....
	Labour 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....				Gerhardsen III
	Labour 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....				Gerhardsen III
	Centre Centre Party (Norway) The Centre Party is a centrist and agrarian political party in Norway, founded in 1920. The Centre Party's policy is not based on any of the major ideologies of the 19th and 20th century, but has a focus on maintaining decentralised economic development and political decision-making.From its...				Lyng
	Labour 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....				Gerhardsen IV
	Labour 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....				Gerhardsen IV
	Conservative Conservative Party of Norway The Conservative Party is a Norwegian political party. The current leader is Erna Solberg. The party was since the 1920s consistently the second largest party in Norway, but has been surpassed by the growth of the Progress Party in the late 1990s and 2000s...				Borten
	Labour 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....				Bratteli I
	Centre Centre Party (Norway) The Centre Party is a centrist and agrarian political party in Norway, founded in 1920. The Centre Party's policy is not based on any of the major ideologies of the 19th and 20th century, but has a focus on maintaining decentralised economic development and political decision-making.From its...				Korvald
	Labour 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....				Bratteli II
	Labour 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....				Nordli Nordli's Cabinet Nordli's Cabinet governed Norway between 15 January 1976 and 4 February 1981. The Labour Party cabinet was led by Odvar Nordli. It had the following composition:-Cabinet members:...
	Labour 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....				Nordli Nordli's Cabinet Nordli's Cabinet governed Norway between 15 January 1976 and 4 February 1981. The Labour Party cabinet was led by Odvar Nordli. It had the following composition:-Cabinet members:...
	Labour 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....				Nordli Nordli's Cabinet Nordli's Cabinet governed Norway between 15 January 1976 and 4 February 1981. The Labour Party cabinet was led by Odvar Nordli. It had the following composition:-Cabinet members:... Brundtland I
	Conservative Conservative Party of Norway The Conservative Party is a Norwegian political party. The current leader is Erna Solberg. The party was since the 1920s consistently the second largest party in Norway, but has been surpassed by the growth of the Progress Party in the late 1990s and 2000s...				Willoch I
	Centre Centre Party (Norway) The Centre Party is a centrist and agrarian political party in Norway, founded in 1920. The Centre Party's policy is not based on any of the major ideologies of the 19th and 20th century, but has a focus on maintaining decentralised economic development and political decision-making.From its...				Willoch II
	Labour 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....				Brundtland II
	Labour 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....				Brundtland II
	Christian Democratic				Syse
	Labour 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....				Brundtland III
	Labour 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....				Jagland
	Liberal				Bondevik I
	Christian Democratic				Bondevik I
	Labour 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....				Stoltenberg I
	Liberal				Bondevik II
	Centre Centre Party (Norway) The Centre Party is a centrist and agrarian political party in Norway, founded in 1920. The Centre Party's policy is not based on any of the major ideologies of the 19th and 20th century, but has a focus on maintaining decentralised economic development and political decision-making.From its...				Stoltenberg II
	Centre Centre Party (Norway) The Centre Party is a centrist and agrarian political party in Norway, founded in 1920. The Centre Party's policy is not based on any of the major ideologies of the 19th and 20th century, but has a focus on maintaining decentralised economic development and political decision-making.From its...		present		Stoltenberg II