Denis Marshall

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For the Australian rules footballer, see Denis Marshall (footballer).

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Denis William Anson Marshall, QSO (23 September 1943 - ) is a former New Zealand politician. He was an MP from 1984 to 1999, representing the National Party.

He was first elected to Parliament for Rangitikei in the 1984 election, defeating Social Credit Party leader Bruce Beetham. He held the seat against Beetham in the 1987 election, and retained it until his retirement at the 1999 election. Marshall served in a number of ministerial roles, beginning in 1993 and ending in 1996.

Marshall's best-known post was as Minister of Conservation, with his performance in the role being strongly criticised by many^{[citation needed]}. In April 1995, a Department of Conservation viewing platform at Cave Creek collapsed, killing 13 students and one conservation officer — later, an inquiry found that the platform had been improperly constructed, with serious systemic failures in the Department being the primary cause. Marshall was heavily criticised for his management of the Department, and in May 1996, was finally forced to resign over the matter[1].