Adam Marshall
Adam Marshall | |
|---|---|
| Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Northern Tablelands | |
| Assumed office 25 May 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Richard Torbay |
| Majority | 31% |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 4 September 1984 |
| Political party | National Party of Australia |
Adam John Marshall (born 4 September 1984), an Australian politician, is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, and has been representing Northern Tablelands since a 2013 by-election, as a member of the National Party of Australia.
Early years and background
Marshall received his elementary education whilst attending Gunnedah South Public School before completing his secondary studies at Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School where he earned the higher school certificate. In his final year he was voted by his peers as the "person most likely to be Australian Prime Minister" a prediction he is also said to have made as a youth, to fellow students during their daily commute on the school bus. [1]
Elected to Gunnedah Shire Council in 2004, aged 19, Marshall became Deputy Mayor and then Mayor of Gunnedah after the 2008 local government elections. During his time as Mayor, Marshall served as President of the Country Mayors' Association and Senior Vice-President of the Shires Association of NSW. Marshall moved to Armidale in 2012, resigning from the Council, and commenced studying commerce at the University of New England, prior to his endorsement as a candidate for the 2013 by-election.[2]
Controversies
Dual political allegiances
During his preselection bid ahead of the Northern Tablelands by-election in 2013, it was revealed that Marshall once held concurrent membership with both the Nationals and the Labor Party from 2001 to 2003, whilst also being employed on the staff of independent Member for Tamworth, Peter Draper.
Former Tamworth based Labor MLC Christine Robertson claimed Mr Marshall was working against the Labor Party during his time as Mr Draper’s staffer saying "Adam was busy playing everybody."
Country Labor organiser Courtney Roche said Mr Marshall would have been considered a member of the party until 2004, after which his membership lapsed. [3][2][4]
ICAC Investigation
One week prior to the by-election, Mal Peters, a councillor of Inverell Shire Council, referred a matter of an undisclosed nature relating to Marshall to the Independent Commission Against Corruption. Marshall claimed that Peters' actions were spurious and questioned the timing of the complaint.[5]
Criminal conviction
On 15 July 2014, Marshall was summonsed to appear at Glen Innes Local Court where he entered a plea of guilty to an indictment of mid range drink driving. He had earlier, on 27 June 2014, returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.112 at a random breath test whilst operating a motor vehicle. The court heard a plea in mitigation that his actions did not amount to willful disobedience with his counsel Rod Watt submitting that his client was suffering from a head cold which have impaired his senses as to his level of intoxication. Marshall was handed the maximum sentence of a period of disqualification of nine months and fined a monetary sum of $2,000. In sentencing the magistrate Karen Stafford remarked that Marshall's driving record is "not good" with a litany of 17 speeding offences since 2002 and found he "had been drinking ... and made the decision to get behind the wheel" and that he had chosen "personal convenience over public safety" when he opted to drive the 2 kms from a pub to his hotel. [6]
The National Director of the National Director of Recording Artists, Actors and Athletes Against Drink Driving, Peter Rubinstein, claimed Marshall needed a change of attitude, and criticised his criminal record saying:
"Seventeen speeding offences doesn't mean he's been speeding 17 times, it means he's been caught speeding 17 times."
"He probably has sped a lot more times than that, and that comes under an area of repeat offending."
"The best thing I can say about Adam Marshall is that he got caught before he did something terrible, before somebody got hurt, injured or killed."
"Drink driving is 100 percent preventable." [7]
New South Wales national party leader Andrew Stoner subsequently announced that Marshall had resigned his parliamentary appointments of temporary speaker and deputy chair of the state regional development committee expressing his "disappointment" in the disgraced Member for Northern Tablelands as to the events that led to the conviction being entered against his name. [8] [9] [10] [11]
Political career
Marshall won the 2013 by-election (following the sudden resignation of Richard Torbay in March 2013) as the Nationals' candidate for New England and as Member for Northern Tablelands, following allegations of corruption. With approximately 68% of the vote counted on the night of the election, Marshall was claimed victory with over 60% of the vote;[12] and was subsequently declared elected with a margin of more than 30%.[13][14]
References
- ^ http://www.nvi.com.au/story/1532786/former-mayor-to-enter-parliament
- ^ a b Green, Antony (2013). "2013 Northern Tablelands by-election: Guide". ABC News. Australia. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
- ^ http://www.armidaleexpress.com.au/story/1506636/adams-labor-past/?cs=469
- ^ Jeffrey, Stephen (17 May 2013). "Adam's Labor past". Armidale Express. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
- ^ Green, Steve (17 April 2013). "Candidate referred to ICAC one week before pre-selection battle". Inverell Times. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
- ^ http://www.gleninnesexaminer.com.au/story/2423569/mp-faces-local-court
- ^ http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-16/anti-drink-driving-groups-concerned-by-marshall27s-driving-rec/5602584
- ^ http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/nsw-nationals-mp-adam-marshall-disqualified-from-driving-after-being-charged-with-midrange-drink-driving/story-fni0cx12-1226989780035?nk=f06f6975e40c9102a346d68a0bf49003
- ^ http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/nsw-mp-adam-marshall-caught-drinkdriving-20140628-zspl0.html#ixzz37aIFQelV
- ^ http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-15/mp-adam-marshalls-licence-suspended-for-drink-driving/5597236
- ^ http://www.gleninnesexaminer.com.au/story/2423569/mp-faces-local-court
- ^ "Nationals take landslide win in Northern Tablelands by-election". ABC News. Australia. 25 May 2013. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
- ^ Green, Antony. "2013 Northern Tablelands by-election results". ABC News. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
- ^ "2013 Northern Tablelands By-election Results". Results: By-Elections: State. New South Wales Electoral Commission. 30 May 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2013.