Adam Marshall

Adam Marshall MP
Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Northern Tablelands
Incumbent
Assumed office 25 May 2013
Preceded by	Richard Torbay
Majority	31 points
Personal details
Born	(1984-09-04) 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 education

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", which is a prediction he is also said to have made as a youth, to fellow students on the school bus.^[1]

Political career

Elected to Gunnedah Shire Council in 2004, aged 19, Marshall became deputy mayor and then mayor of Gunnedah, an office his father once held, 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 held following the sudden resignation of Richard Torbay in March as the National's candidate for the federal electoral district New England and state member for Northern Tablelands, amid allegations of corruption.^[2]

Marshall was the National's endorsed candidate to replace the outgoing member, and he would claim victory on the night having receiving over 60% of the vote,^[3] subsequently being declared the winner with a margin of more than 30%.^[4][5]

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. Country Labor organiser Courtney Roche said Marshall would have been deemed to be a card carrying member of the party until 2004, after which his membership expired.^[2][6]

On 27 June 2014, Marshall was stopped for a random breath test while driving and returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.112. On 15 July he pleaded guilty to and was convicted for mid range drink driving. Marshall's counsel argued in mitigation that he was suffering from a head cold which may have impaired his awareness of his level of intoxication. He was disqualified from driving for nine months and fined $2,000. It was subsequently revealed that Marshall had incurred 17 speeding offences since 2002,^[7][8] and that his licence had been suspended on three separate occasions between 2003 and 2011. He was able to avoid a fourth suspension in May 2014 by entering into a good-behaviour bond.^[9]

References

Other links

• National Party - NSW Nationals - Northern Tablelands