Dagfinn Høybråten (born December 2 1957), is a Norwegian politician, representing the Christian Democratic Party (KrF). He has a political degree (cand.polit) from the University of Oslo in 1984. He is married and has four children.

Political career

Høybråten led the Ministry of Health and Care Services from 1997 to 2000 and again from 2000 to 2004. Following a 2004 Government reshuffle, Høybråten was transferred to lead the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs . In 2004, he also assumed the leadership of KrF.

As Minister of Health, Høybråten was noted for his controversial campaign against tobacco smoking at all public places. Throughout 2004, he was accused in the media of being a "mørkemann" (lit, "dark man"), meaning a Christian with a hidden fundamentalist agenda. According to small Christian newspapers, this stigma was placed on him by the mainstream media in Norway. His supporters (most notably Norwegian Prime Minister and fellow party member Kjell Magne Bondevik) claim he does not deserve such a characterization.

Losing by a margin of 180 votes to win a seat in the 1989 General Election, Høybråten has never held a seat in the Norwegian Parliament, or Storting. Ahead of the Norwegian parliamentary election of 2005, Høybråten was nominated from Rogaland instead of his home county of Akershus. This in order to avoid a nomination battle with the former party leader Valgerd Svarstad Haugland.

External link

Dagfinn Høybråten's home page