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.
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 Dan Leo MLA (Nhulunbuy)
Country Liberal Tom Harris MLA (Port Darwin)
Results
↓ 14 2 9 CLP Ind Labor
Candidates
Sitting members are listed in bold. Successful candidates are highlighted in the relevant colour.
Electorate Held 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 Ruger Kenneth Purvis Tony Boulter (Ind) Charles Hallett (Ind) Braitling CLP Matthew Storey Roger Vale Damien Ward Leslie 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 Furber Robert Kennedy David 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 Forscutt Laurie 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 Ivinson David Sanderson Graeme 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 Wright Timothy Fowler (Grn) Port Darwin CLP Peter Cavanagh Shane Stone David Fuller Jessie 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 (politician) Stephen Dunham Wanguri Labor John Bailey John Hare
Seats changing hands
Seat Pre-1990 Swing Post-1990 Party Member Margin Margin Member Party Barkly NT Nationals Ian Tuxworth 5.9 6.6 0.7 Maggie Hickey Labor Victoria River Country Liberal Terry McCarthy 9.5 11.0 1.5 Gary Cartwright (politician) 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 seatsMarginalGoyderTerry McCarthyCLP4.1 v INDFairly safeSandersonDaryl ManzieCLP9.0JingiliRick SetterCLP9.2SafeFannie BayMarshall PerronCLP10.0BrennanMax OrtmannCLP10.1KaramaMick PalmerCLP10.8CasuarinaNick DondasCLP11.5Port DarwinShane StoneCLP11.6PalmerstonBarry CoulterCLP11.7LeanyerFred FinchCLP11.9NightcliffStephen HattonCLP12.1Very safeAraluenEric PooleCLP20.9KatherineMike ReedCLP21.0BraitlingRoger ValeCLP26.2
Labor seatsMarginalBarklyMaggie HickeyALP0.7Victoria RiverGary Cartwright (politician)ALP1.5Fairly safeWanguriJohn BaileyALP6.2MillnerTerry SmithALP6.7NhulunbuySyd StirlingALP9.1SafeArnhemWes LanhupuyALP11.2MacdonnellNeil BellALP13.5ArafuraStan TipilouraALP16.5StuartBrian EdeALP17.0Independent seatsGreatorexDenis CollinsIND2.5 v CLPNelsonNoel Padgham-PurichIND13.7 v CLP
References
Northern Territory Electoral Commission