1990 Northern Territory general election

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1990 Northern Territory general election
Flag of the Northern Territory.svg
  1987 27 October 1990 (1990-10-27) 1994  

All 25 seats of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
13 seats needed for a majority
Turnout81.6 (Increase2.svg 10.4 pp)
 First partySecond partyThird party
 
Marshall Perron - Library & Archives NT (PH0730-1372).jpg
Terry Smith in 1981.jpg
Ian Tuxworth cropped portrait.jpg
Leader Marshall Perron Terry Smith Ian Tuxworth
Party Country Liberal Labor Nationals
Leader since14 July 198819 August 198610 May 1986
Leader's seat Fannie Bay Millner Barkly
(lost Goyder)
Last election16 seats6 seats2 seats
Seats won149 seats0
Seat changeDecrease2.svg 2Increase2.svg 3Decrease2.svg 2
Popular vote31,75823,8273,060
Percentage48.8%36.6%4.7%
SwingIncrease2.svg 9.4Increase2.svg 0.6Decrease2.svg 13.1
TPP 57.0%43.0%
TPP Decrease2.svg 0.3Increase2.svg 0.3

1990 Northern Territory Election.svg

Chief Minister before election

Marshall Perron
Country Liberal

Elected Chief Minister

Marshall Perron
Country Liberal

A general election was held in the Northern Territory on Saturday 27 October 1990, and was won by the incumbent Country Liberal Party (CLP) under Chief Minister Marshall Perron.

Contents

The CLP's political strategy for the campaign, devised by the Chief Minister's media secretary, Tony-Barker May, involved attacking the opposition ALP's policy platform, and using the costings as the basis of a 'where's the money coming from?' media assault. Although the Chief Minister was ill for much of the campaign, government ministers made challenging statements every day.

The CLP also used the services of conservative social researcher Mark Textor, subsequently co-head of Crosby Textor Group, who made accurate polling predictions during this election, outperforming internal ALP polling and independent public polling. The result came as a surprise to most except for CLP insiders.

Six months prior to the election, polling showed the CLP was headed for a big loss. However, the CLP government remained in power with an increase of over 9% to its primary vote, holding 14 of the 25 seats, with the ALP opposition gaining 3 seats for a total of 9 seats in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly. Meanwhile, the Northern Territory Nationals contested the election again, but lost both of their seats of Barkly and Flynn, never to return. The 1990 election also saw the Greens emerge in territory politics, with 3.05% of the vote—fourth behind the CLP, Labor and the Nationals.

Independents Noel Padgham-Purich and Denis Collins were both re-elected.

Retiring MPs

Labor

Country Liberal

Results

1429
CLPIndLabor
Summary of the results of the 1990 Northern Territory general election, Legislative Assembly [1]
1990 NT Legislative Assembly.svg
PartyVotes%+/–Seats+/–
Country Liberal 31,75848.83Increase2.svg 9.4114Decrease2.svg 2
Labor 23,82736.64Increase2.svg 0.699Increase2.svg 3
Independents 4,4106.78Decrease2.svg 0.072Steady2.svg
NT Nationals 3,0604.71Decrease2.svg 13.080Decrease2.svg 1
Greens 1,9813.05New0Steady2.svg
Total65,036100.0025
Valid votes65,03696.90
Invalid/blank votes2,0813.10Decrease2.svg 1.04
Total votes67,117100.00
Registered voters/turnout82,26181.59Increase2.svg 10.41
Country Liberal 37,07557.01
Labor 27,96142.99
Total65,036100.00
Popular vote
Country Liberal
48.83%
Labor
36.63%
NT Nationals
4.71%
Greens
3.05%
Independents
6.78%
Two-party-preferred vote
Country Liberal
57.00%
Labor
43.00%
Seats
Country Liberal
56.00%
Labor
36.00%
Independents
8.00%

Candidates

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

ElectorateHeld by Labor CLP Nationals Other
Arafura Labor Stan Tipiloura Barry Puruntatameri
Araluen CLP Brian Doolan Eric Poole Enzo Floreani
Arnhem Labor Wes Lanhupuy Tony Hayward-Ryan Rod Ansell (Ind)
Barkly National Maggie Hickey Paul RugerKenneth PurvisTony Boulter (Ind)
Charles Hallett (Ind)
Braitling CLP Matthew Storey Roger Vale Damien WardLeslie Oldfield (Ind)
Brennan CLP Ian Fraser Max Ortmann Col Firmin (Ind)
Casuarina CLP Rod Ellis Nick Dondas Lea Rosenwax
Fannie Bay CLP Paul Costigan Marshall Perron Bob Ellis (Grn)
Strider (Ind)
Goyder CLP Jack Ah Kit Terry McCarthy Ian Tuxworth Kezia Purick (Ind)
Louise Size (Grn)
Thomas Starr (Ind)
Greatorex Independent Harold FurberRobert KennedyDavid Johannsen Denis Collins (Ind)
Jingili CLP Fiona Stuchbery Rick Setter Penelope Thomson (Ind)
Karama CLP Margaret Gillespie Mick Palmer Janet Durling
Katherine CLP Phil Maynard Mike Reed Jim ForscuttLaurie Hughes (Ind)
Leanyer CLP Jim Davidson Fred Finch Alan MacKenzie
MacDonnell Labor Neil Bell Brendan Heenan
Alison Hunt
Millner Labor Terry Smith Janice Collins
Nelson Independent Peter IvinsonDavid SandersonGraeme Gow Noel Padgham-Purich (Ind)
Nhulunbuy Labor Syd Stirling Susan McClure
Nightcliff CLP David Pettigrew Stephen Hatton John Dunham (Grn)
Palmerston CLP Chris Draffin Barry Coulter Ronald WrightTimothy Fowler (Grn)
Port Darwin CLP Peter Cavanagh Shane Stone David FullerJessie Kearney (Grn)
Sanderson CLP Alan Perrin Daryl Manzie Graeme Parsons (Grn)
Andrew Wrenn (Ind)
Stuart Labor Brian Ede Eric Pananka
Alexander Nelson
Victoria River CLP Gary Cartwright Stephen Dunham
Wanguri Labor John Bailey John Hare

Seats changing hands

SeatPre-1990SwingPost-1990
PartyMemberMarginMarginMemberParty
Barkly  NT Nationals Ian Tuxworth 5.96.60.7 Maggie Hickey Labor 
Victoria River  Country Liberal Terry McCarthy 9.511.01.5 Gary Cartwright Labor 

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
Goyder Terry McCarthy CLP4.1 v IND
Fairly safe
Sanderson Daryl Manzie CLP9.0
Jingili Rick Setter CLP9.2
Safe
Fannie Bay Marshall Perron CLP10.0
Brennan Max Ortmann CLP10.1
Karama Mick Palmer CLP10.8
Casuarina Nick Dondas CLP11.5
Port Darwin Shane Stone CLP11.6
Palmerston Barry Coulter CLP11.7
Leanyer Fred Finch CLP11.9
Nightcliff Stephen Hatton CLP12.1
Very safe
Araluen Eric Poole CLP20.9
Katherine Mike Reed CLP21.0
Braitling Roger Vale CLP26.2
Labor seats
Marginal
Barkly Maggie Hickey ALP0.7
Victoria River Gary Cartwright ALP1.5
Fairly safe
Wanguri John Bailey ALP6.2
Millner Terry Smith ALP6.7
Nhulunbuy Syd Stirling ALP9.1
Safe
Arnhem Wes Lanhupuy ALP11.2
Macdonnell Neil Bell ALP13.5
Arafura Stan Tipiloura ALP16.5
Stuart Brian Ede ALP17.0
Independent seats
Greatorex Denis Collins IND2.5 v CLP
Nelson Noel Padgham-Purich IND13.7 v CLP

References

  1. 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)