Tom Marshall (politician)

Background

Marshall grew up in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador. He is the son of the late Sylvia and Jack Marshall. His father was a Progressive Conservative member of Parliament for Humber – St. George’s – St. Barbe, and a Canadian senator. Marshall attended Memorial University of Newfoundland, where he was awarded a bachelor of commerce degree in 1969. He went on to Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia where he was awarded a bachelor of laws degree in 1972. He joined the law firm of Barry, Wells and Monaghan as an associate lawyer, and became a partner in the firm of Barry, Wells, Monaghan, Seaborn and Marshall in 1975. He remained senior partner with the firm of Monaghan, Marshall, Murphy and Watton until his election to the House of Assembly in 2003.

Politics

In the 2003 provincial election, Marshall was the Progressive Conservative Party (PC Party) candidate in the district of Humber East. He ran against Bob Mercer, the Liberal incumbent and Minister of Environment in the Roger Grimes government. The PC Party won a majority government in the election, and Marshall easily defeated Mercer to become the MHA for Humber East. Marshall was easily re-elected in the 2007 provincial election, winning 84 per cent of the popular vote in his district. In the 2011 election Marshall won 78 per cent of the popular vote in Humber East.

Since his first election win Marshall has held a number of senior cabinet roles within the governments of Danny Williams and Kathy Dunderdale. Weeks after the 2003 election he was sworn in as the Minister of Justice and Attorney General. On March 11, 2005, he also assumed the role as Minister resposnbile for Intergovernmental Affairs, a portfolio Williams had been responsible for since becoming premier. The following year Marshall became the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board, a portfolio he would hold on several occasion. His first stint as Finance Minister lasted until 2008, when he returned to the Department of Justice. In a 2009 cabinet shuffle Marshall was re-appointed Minister of Finance and President of the Treasury Board, and took the additional responsibility go Attorney General in 2012. In January 2013, left the Department of Justice and became Minister of Natural Resources, while remaining Attorney General. When his successor as Minister of Finance resigned suddenly in October of that year he would return to the portfolio. After being sworn in as the 11th Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, Marshall appointed Charlene Johnson as his successor at the Department of Finance and Felix Collins became the Attorney General.

Minister of Finance

In his first budget as Minister of Finance the province recorded a $76 million surplus. His budget cut personal taxes and paid $66 million onto the province's debt. In his 2008 budget Marshall announced a $1.4 billion budget surplus, the largest surplus to that date. Like his previous budget Marshall continued to cut personal income taxes and pay down debt, the budget also spent $673 million on infrastructure throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. Marshall's 2010 budget projected a $194.3 million deficit for that coming year despite that he increased overall spending and cut personal and small business taxes. By the time Marshall delivered his 2011 budget the deficit he projected the previous year had turned into a $485-million surplus, due to higher than expected oil revenues. The budget was the first under new premier Kathy Dunderdale and was delivered five months before the provincial election. The $7.3-billion budget increased spending, but despite a budget surplus it would add to the province's net debt.

Premier

Marshall was sworn in as the 11th Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador on January 24, 2014, succeeding Dunderdale who resigned the post on the same day. Marshall became the country's second Jewish premier, after Dave Barrett. He held the post until September 2014, when Paul Davis was elected as PC leader.

Leadership

When Williams announced his resignation as premier and Progressive Conservative leader on November 22, 2010, Marshall was considered a potential candidate in the race to succeed him. However, Marshall announced in December 2010, that he would not be a candidate and would instead be endorsing Dunderdale, who was later acclaimed leader. He became interim leader of the Progressive Conservative Party and Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador on January 24, 2014. Marshall has stated he is only interested in being premier for several months, until the party selects a permanent leader.

Public opinion

Dunderdale's resignation came after two years of dwindling public support for her, her government and the PC Party. In a Corporate Research Associates (CRA) poll conducted after Marshall became premier, support increased in these three areas. Satisfaction with government saw the largest increase, with 57 per cent of those poll indicating they approved of government's performance under Marshall. Compared to 20 per cent who were dissatisfied and 23 per cent who did not have an opinion or indicated it was too soon to tell. In the previous CRA poll conducted in November 2013, only 42 per cent of respondents were satisfied with the government's performance under Dunderdale. 32 per cent of respondents thought Marshall was the best choice for Premier, compared to 38 per cent who preferred Liberal leader Dwight Ball and 11 per cent who preferred New Democratic Party leader Lorraine Michael. Support for the Progressive Conservatives increased marginally in the poll and the party remained in a distanced second place. The poll showed the Liberal Party was the choice of 53 per cent of respondents, followed by PC Party with 33 per cent and the NDP were third with 13 per cent support. Satisfaction with government continued to increase under Marshall's leadership, with a CRA poll conducted throughout May 2013 showing that 64 per cent of those polled were either completely or mostly satisfied with government. Despite an increase in government satisfaction, Marshall's personal number as choice for premier only increased to 33 per cent. He trailed Ball who was the choice of 38 per cent, while Michael was well behind at 11 per cent. Support for the PC Party also dropped slightly, to the benefit of the NDP. The Liberals led in the poll with 53 per cent indicating they supported them, the Progressive Conservatives were second at 29 per cent and the NDP third at 16 per cent.