1987 Northern Territory general election

Last updated

1987 Northern Territory general election
Flag of the Northern Territory.svg
  1983 7 March 1987 (1987-03-07) 1990  

All 25 seats of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
13 seats needed for a majority
Turnout71.2 (Decrease2.svg 10.4 pp)
 First partySecond partyThird party
 
Stephen Hatton Potrait.jpg
Terry Smith in 1981.jpg
Ian Tuxworth cropped portrait.jpg
Leader Stephen Hatton Terry Smith Ian Tuxworth
Party Country Liberal Labor Nationals
Leader since14 May 198619 August 198621 December 1986
Leader's seat Nightcliff Millner Barkly
Last election19 seats6 seatsDid not exist
Seats won1661
Seat changeDecrease2.svg 3Steady2.svgNew
Popular vote20,07418,3079,058
Percentage39.4%36.0%17.1%
SwingDecrease2.svg 18.8Increase2.svg 0.4New
TPP 57.3%42.7%
TPP swingDecrease2.svg 3.8Increase2.svg 3.8

1987 Northern Territory Election.svg

Chief Minister before election

Stephen Hatton
Country Liberal

Elected Chief Minister

Stephen Hatton
Country Liberal

A general election was held in the Northern Territory, Australia on Saturday 7 March 1987. Although the incumbent Country Liberal Party (CLP) won a majority under new leader Stephen Hatton, the party's vote was down almost 20 percentage points.

Contents

At the 1987 election, the CLP faced a challenge from the Northern Territory Nationals, a rebel conservative party led by former CLP Chief Minister Ian Tuxworth that was aligned with then-Queensland Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen, but not affiliated with the federal National Party of Australia. The NT Nationals took 17.79% of the primary vote, mostly from the CLP, but finished with only one member in the assembly. Hatton, despite a loss of three seats, retained a working majority.

Labor's vote remained virtually unchanged. As in 1983, its assembly tally was six.

Two former-CLP independents were re-elected in their seats. Noel Padgham-Purich was re-elected to Koolpinyah, while Denis Collins was re-elected to Sadadeen as an independent. Former Chief Minister Ian Tuxworth was also re-elected as a member of the NT Nationals.

Ian Tuxworth's election to the seat of Barkly was declared void after independent candidate Maggie Hickey challenged the result on the basis that the Labor candidate, Keith Hallet, held British nationality and was not an Australian citizen. Due to the close result (Tuxworth had won by only 19 votes), Justice John Nader voided the election on 30 July 1987, and a by-election was held on 5 September 1987, at which Tuxworth regained the seat. [1]

Results

16126
CLPNatIndLabor
Summary of the results of the 1987 Northern Territory general election, Legislative Assembly [2]
1987 NT Legislative Assembly.svg
PartyVotes%+/–Seats+/–
Country Liberal 20,07439.42Decrease2.svg 18.8016Decrease2.svg 3
Labor 18,30735.95Increase2.svg 0.366Steady2.svg
NT Nationals 9,05817.79New1New
Independents 3,4896.85Increase2.svg 2.472Increase2.svg 2
Total50,928100.0025
Valid votes50,92895.86
Invalid/blank votes2,1994.14Increase2.svg 1.12
Total votes53,127100.00
Registered voters/turnout74,63371.18Decrease2.svg 10.39
Country Liberal 57.3
Labor 42.7
Total
Popular vote
Country Liberal
37.94%
Labor
34.60%
NT Nationals
17.12%
Independents
6.59%
Two-party-preferred vote
Country Liberal
57.30%
Labor
42.70%
Seats
Country Liberal
64.00%
Labor
24.00%
NT Nationals
4.00%
Independents
8.00%

Retiring MPs

Labor

Country Liberal

Candidates

Sitting members are listed in bold. Successful candidates are highlighted in the relevant colour.

ElectorateHeld by Labor CLP Nationals Independent
Arafura Labor Stan Tipiloura Dorothy FoxPeter Watton
Araluen CLP Di Shanahan Eric Poole Enzo Floreani
Arnhem Labor Wes Lanhupuy John HancockBrian DallistonBruce Foley
Barkly CLP Keith HallettGary Smith Ian Tuxworth Maggie Hickey
Braitling CLP Mike Alsop Roger Vale Max Stewart
Casuarina CLP John Reeves Nick Dondas Giuseppe Nicolosi
Fannie Bay CLP John Waters Marshall Perron Stephen MarshallEdward Osgood
Strider
Flynn CLP John Omond Ray Hanrahan Jacqueline Anderson
Jingili CLP Bob Wharton Rick Setter Harry Maschke
Karama CLP Robyn Crompton Mick Palmer Lionel Preston
Katherine CLP Phil Maynard Mike Reed Jim Forscutt
Koolpinyah CLP Peter IvinsonPat LoftusDavid Loveridge Noel Padgham-Purich
Leanyer CLP David Lamb-Jenkins Fred Finch David Wane
Ludmilla CLP Chris McMah Col Firmin Brian ThomasSydney Cross
MacDonnell Labor Neil Bell J. DavisRon Liddle
Millner Labor Terry Smith John BabanMichael Foley
Nhulunbuy Labor Dan Leo Pam Steele-WarehamDeane CrowhurstPat Ellis
Nightcliff CLP John Rowell Stephen Hatton Brian Brent
Palmerston CLP Tony Henry Barry Coulter Michael Ting
Port Darwin CLP Russell Kearney Tom Harris James Maclean
Sadadeen Independent Meredith Campbell Shane Stone Lynne Peterkin Denis Collins
Sanderson CLP Peter McQueen Daryl Manzie Lawrence Armstrong
Stuart Labor Brian Ede Jim SinclairIan Drennan Vince Forrester
Victoria River CLP Leon White Terry McCarthy Ronald WrightLance Lawrence
Wanguri CLP Peter McNab Don Dale Graeme Bevis

Seats changing hands

SeatPre-1987SwingPost-1987
PartyMemberMarginMarginMemberParty
Barkly  Country Liberals Ian Tuxworth 10.3 (CLP)N/A0.5 Ian Tuxworth NT Nationals 
Koolpinyah  Independent Noel Padgham-Purich 12.5 (CLP)31.318.8 Noel Padgham-Purich Independent 
Sadadeen  Independent Denis Collins 20.5 (CLP)40.219.7 Denis Collins Independent 

Post-election pendulum

The following pendulum is known as the Mackerras pendulum, invented by psephologist Malcolm Mackerras. The pendulum works by lining up all of the seats held in the Legislative Assembly according to the percentage point margin they are held by on a two-party-preferred basis. This is also known as the swing required for the seat to change hands. Given a uniform swing to the opposition or government parties, the number of seats that change hands can be predicted.

Country Liberal seats
Marginal
Casuarina Nick Dondas CLP4.0
Katherine Mike Reed CLP5.9 v NAT
Fairly safe
Leanyer Fred Finch CLP6.3
Karama Mick Palmer CLP6.5
Jingili Rick Setter CLP7.4
Sanderson Daryl Manzie CLP7.6
Wanguri Don Dale CLP9.4
Safe
Fannie Bay Marshall Perron CLP13.3
Araluen Eric Poole CLP14.2
Palmerston Barry Coulter CLP15.1
Ludmilla Col Firmin CLP16.1 v NAT
Victoria River Terry McCarthy CLP16.9
Port Darwin Tom Harris CLP17.1
Nightcliff Stephen Hatton CLP18.4
Flynn Ray Hanrahan CLP19.0
Very safe
Braitling Roger Vale CLP25.5
Labor seats
Marginal
Arnhem Wes Lanhupuy ALP5.1
Fairly safe
Nhulunbuy Dan Leo ALP9.9
Safe
Millner Terry Smith ALP15.2
Arafura Stan Tipiloura ALP17.9
Stuart Brian Ede ALP19.2
Very safe
Macdonnell Neil Bell ALP24.9
Crossbench seats
Barkly Ian Tuxworth NAT0.5 v IND
Koolpinyah Noel Padgham-Purich IND18.8 v NAT
Sadadeen Denis Collins IND19.7 v LAB

References

  1. Nelson, Alex (15 November 2017). "Dual citizen rows: Tennant Creek had them first – Alice Springs News". Alice Springs News. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  2. Wade-Marshall, Dean Jaensch, Deborah (1994). Point of order! : the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory 1974–1994. Darwin: Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory. ISBN   0731520769.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)