Giske on sick leave for two more weeks

Labour’s former Deputy Leader, Trond Giske, is on a sick leave at least until the end of next week.

The politician’s adviser, Bård Flaarønning, tells Dagbladet.. The former Labour top has been on sick leave since Friday, December 22

Giske resigned as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party on January 7, after several reports of inappropriate sexual behavior in the wake of #MeeTo. At the same time, he retired from the role as leader of Labour’s Finance faction on a permanent basis.

It is unclear what role Giske will have when he returns to the Parliament. If he does not gets another extension of his sick leave, he is back just in time for the Labour’s National Convention on January 29 and 30.

Giske out of Labour’s Central Committee

Rigmor Aasrud takes over after Trond Giske as the Labour Party’s financial spokesperson. At the same time, Giske loses his position in Labour’s Central Committee.

Trond Giske became spokesperson for financial matters after the elections last autumn, but made his position available in the wake of the sexual harassment cases.

Labour (AP) confirms to NTB that Giske lost his position in the Central Committee when he resigned as Deputy Leader on January 7. It was Dagens Næringsliv that first reported that Giske is now sacked from the Central Committee.

On questions from NTB about who replaces Giske in the Central Committee, Ap informs that it is the National Convention that elects members of the Central Committee.

Labours parliamentary group has now decided that Giske will be a member of the family and culture fraction.

Skillful politician

The party has also decided that former Cabinet Minister, Rigmor Aasrud, from Oppland will be chairing Labour’s Financial Faction in the Parliament (Stortinget) and also fiscal spokesperson.

– Aasrud is an experienced and skilled politician who will lead the Labour Party’s financial work in a good way, says the Labour Party leader, Jonas Gahr Støre, in a press release.

Aasrud was a minister of Renewal, Administration and Religion in the Stoltenberg II Government and led the Party’s Communal Fraction since the autumn of 2017.

Marianne Marthinsen had to resign as financial spokesperson against her wishes after Labour’s disaster election result last autumn. Shortly thereafter, several key Labour advisors left the Parliament.

Many changes

The Giske issue triggers a series of changes in the parliamentary group of the until recently largest party in Norway.

New leader of the Municipal and Administrative fraction will be Eirik Sivertsen from Nordland. He led the Labour’s Transport faction from 2015 to 2017 and was before that in the Municipal fraction.

– Sivertsen has broad political experience and will provide the Municipal faction with a new dimension, says Støre.

The Parliamentary Group has also appointed Masud Gharahkhani from Buskerud as spokesperson for Immigration. He has a background from local politics in Drammen.

– Gharahkhani is a politician with insight and experience that will underline the Labour Party’s values and policies in this area, says Støre.

The Press Association does not initiate a separate discussion regarding the Giske case

Former editor of Bergensavisen and Labour member, Olav Terje Bergo, addressed the Norwegian Press Association a few weeks ago and felt that they should make such an initiative.

That’s not going to happen, General Secretary Elin Floberghagen stated during a breakfast meeting on the Media year on Thursday, both Kampanje and Medier24 reports.

– We have answered no to that inquiry and think the case is better suited for ongoing debate and discussion than an overall assessment from the Press Association, she says.

Floberghagen pointed out that there are many dilemmas related to the matter that are interesting to discuss, such as the use of anonymous sources.

– And then I feel that the biggest dilemma is: How does the massive coverage affect those who are exposed to criticism? – This is something that should be discussed continuously by the editorial groups, she continues.