Via local politics in his native Namsos he was elected to the Norwegian Parliament in 1961, serving six terms in total.

[3] Hansen's mother died from tuberculosis,[4] and due to his social background and environment it was no surprise that he joined the labour movement.

[1] He started his party political career in the Workers' Youth League, and sat in its central committee as secretary from 1947 to 1948.

When the first cabinet Bratteli held office between 1971 and 1972, Hansen became leader of the Labour Party parliamentary council.

He also published several memoirs about his time in politics and the Parliament: Der er det godt å sitte (1984), Fra min plass.

[5] His book Om Stortingets arbeidsordning, co-written with Parliament secretary Erik Mo and released in 1994, is also often referenced.