Peder Ludvik Kolstad (28 November 1878 – 5 March 1932) was a Norwegian politician from the Agrarian Party. He was the 19th prime minister of Norway from 1931 until his death in 1932. Early life and education Born to a farmer's family in Borge, now part of Fredrikstad in Østfold county he got a degree from Kalnes school of agriculture in 1899 and a degree from the Agricultural University of Norway at Ås, Akershus county in 1902. He subsequently worked as teachers at agricultural schools in Asker, Akershus county and Nedenes, Aust-Agder county. Returning to Østfold and Kalnes school of agriculture in 1905, he became principal at the school in 1912. Early political and organizational career In Østfold, Kolstad became engaged in organisational work related to agriculture. He served as leader of the Tune chapter of the Norwegian Agrarian Association, became leader of the Østfold county chapter and member of the national board of the organisation. He also sat on the board of the agricultural cooperative Felleskjøpet. In the period from 1919 to 1922, he was part of the herredsstyre (selective body of the municipal council) in Tune. He was a member of the municipal council until 1928 and leader of the Østfold chapter of the Farmer's Party for several years in the 1920s. At the Agrarian Association's congress in Kristiansand in 1920, he played an important role in the process that led to the decision that the organization should nominate its own list in the 1921 Norwegian parliamentary election, leading to the establishment of the Farmer's Party. In the 1921 Norwegian parliamentary election, Kolstad topped the list for the Farmers' Party in Østfold and was elected to the Parliament of Norway and subsequently re-elected in all elections until his death. He served in the Standing Committee on Finance in all his parliamentary career, becoming head of the committee in 1928. He served as secretary for the Farmers' Party's parliamentary group in all his years in Parliament and was elected President of the Odelsting in 1931. In this period, he also headed the Østfold chapter of the Farmer's Party for several years. As finance politician, Kolstad like his party argued for austerity, in particular he wanted to reduce public administration He led the majority in the Farmer's Party that supported the Liberal Mowinckel's Cabinet's decision to return the Norwegian krone to the gold standard in 1928 after convertibility had been