Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall has announced he will be resigning and not contest the next election for the Northern Tablelands, triggering a by-election.
The MP made a Public Statement today while addressing a Meeting of Mayors at the Inverell Shire Council where he will not only be stepping down as local MP, but stepping away from politics altogether.
“I have advised a meeting with all the Mayors of the Northern Tablelands that I will be drawing to a close 2 decades of public life, the last 11 of which have been a great privilege to be the Member for Northern Tablelands.”
The MP took time to reflect on his time in public life, noting that it was also exactly 20 years last Thursday 28th March since his ascension to Mayor of Gunnedah Shire.
“I was this fresh-faced, wide-eyed 19 year old but I can assure I look very much different to that today,” he said.
Mr Marshall has said the decision to step down and away from politics was not an easy one, but now that the announcement was made, he is very comfortable and is looking forward to pursuing other interests.
“Put simply, it’s time for me to move on and take up some new challenges.”
“When I came into this role, it was never my intention to stay forever. I believe that our region is best served by people who get in, give it their absolute all, and then hand the baton onto fresh hands, and I hope I’ve been able to do that,” Mr Marshall said.
Mr Marshall paid tribute to all the Mayors present, saying that the region could never have achieved the many victories it had without the support of all the councillors and the communities they serve.
“I’ve been very fortunate to receive and have enormous support from the communities that I’ve represented, and to them I want to say a massive ‘thank you’.”
“I could not have done anything that I have done, representing them at Gunnedah and here in the Northern Tablelands without the support and the backing of the community and the civic leaders standing behind me.
“It is a team game and I’ve been very lucky to have a wonderful team behind me every single step of the way,” Mr Marshall said.
The MP has asserted that he will not be pursuing Federal Politics, in light of the recent announcement made by Federal Member for Parkes, Mark Coulton, that he will be stepping away from politics after 16 years on the job.
“Just to make clear, this will be the end of representative politics for me – this isn’t about stepping down to then make a tilt for Canberra or Federal Parliament, it’s got nothing to do with Mark Coulton finishing the seat of Parkes or what the Federal Member for New England may or may not do, this is me calling a day, a giant full stop on 20 years of public life.”
“I want to take on some new challenges in the corporate world and take on some opportunities in my own personal life,” Mr Marshall said.
Mr Coulton was quick to congratulate and thank Mr Marshall for his service, as Mr Marshall had been on his retirement announcement just a week ago.
“I would like to pay tribute to Adam Marshall for the significant contribution he’s made over the last 11 years as the State Member for Northern Tablelands,” Mr Coulton said.
“Adam has always been a fierce advocate for the communities in his electorate and has fought hard to secure an enormous amount of funding for the region.”
“I’ve enjoyed working with him on various projects over the years and know he will be missed by his constituents.”
Mr Marshall will be leaving behind a hallmark achievement by way of his recent bill passed through the State Government amending legislation on Youth Crime with the support of NSW Premier Chris Minns and NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley, after it was previously rejected, the backflip decision made due to community pressure as a result of the recent spate of Youth Crime in the area, in particularly the Moree region.
Mr Marshall said he would formally hand his resignation as the Member for Northern Tablelands on 13 May. This will trigger a by-election for the safest seat in the state, which Mr Marshall won just 12 months ago with 71.6% of the primary vote (83.8% 2PP).
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