Denis William Anson Marshall (born 23 September 1943) is a former New Zealand politician. He was an MP from 1984 to 1999, representing the National Party, and a government minister until 1996. His ministerial career ended when he resigned about six months after the release of the Commission of Inquiry report into the Cave Creek Disaster, and a year after the accident itself, in which 14 people died and a further four were seriously injured, and during which time he was minister of conservation. He had been under pressure to resign since the report's release.

Early life

Born in Marton on 23 September 1943, Marshall was educated at Norwood School, Gisborne, Hereworth School, Havelock North, Christ's College, Christchurch and Lincoln College as part of the Kellogg New Zealand Rural Leadership Programme, and he was a Nuffield Farming Scholar to the United Kingdom in 1983.

In 1965, he married Mary Annette Kilmister, and the couple went on to have three children. Criticism that he had been the minister of conservation for five years during which time it had remained in a disorganised state, however, eventually ended with his resignation about six months later.

Life after politics

Marshall retired from Parliament in 1999 and moved to London. He took up a full-time post as secretary-general at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) from January 2002 to December 2006.

He has been consulting to the UNDP and the WBI over the past four years.

He now lives in Queenstown, Central Otago, New Zealand, where he is a vigneron of his own vineyard, Hawkshead Wine, a producer of pinot noir, pinot gris, riesling and sauvignon blanc.

Community

In 2000, he founded the New Zealand National Parks and Conservation Foundation following his strong belief that there needed to be an opportunity for the private sector and corporate world to contribute more to conservation in New Zealand. He was the foundation's inaugural chairman from 2000 to 2001.

He was the chairman of the New Zealand Rural Communities Trust from 2000 to 2001.

He is a member in numerous community organisations in New Zealand, such as the New Zealand Historic Places Trust and the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society.

Honours

In 1990, Marshall was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.

References

  • Denis Marshall's website
  • National Parks and Conservation Foundation
  • Dawn Chorus
  • Executive Government Archive website
  • Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
  • World Bank Organisation
  • NZ Herald Article