Marshall Perron

Marshall Bruce Perron (born 5 February 1942) is a former Australian politician, who was Chief Minister of the Northern Territory from 1988 to 1995. He served as a Country Liberal Party member of the Legislative Assembly in the Northern Territory from the formation of the Assembly in 1974 until his resignation in 1995. From 1975 to 1995, save for an 11-month break in 1986 and 1987, he served as a cabinet minister or its equivalent.

Early life

Perron was born in Perth, Western Australia in 1942. His family was from Darwin, but had been evacuated to Perth due to the threat of Japanese attack during World War II. Perron was born on 5 February, two weeks before the bombing of Darwin, and he would later jokingly blame "the Japanese for denying him his birthright as a Territorian."

Political career

Perron entered politics in 1974, when he was elected as a member of the first Northern Territory Legislative Assembly, which replaced the partly elected Legislative Council. He represented the division of Stuart Park for the Country Liberal Party.

After surviving Cyclone Tracy, a year later, Perron was promoted to cabinet. As self-government was not granted to the Northern Territory until 1978, until then the ministers under Majority Leaders Goff Letts and Paul Everingham were known as Executive Members. Perron joined Letts' executive in December 1975 as Executive Member for Municipal and Consumer Affairs and Cabinet Member for Education and Planning from 1976 to 1977.

After the 1977 election, Perron was named deputy leader of the CLP under Everingham, and hence became Deputy Majority Leader (deputy premier), also taking the Finance and Planning portfolio.