| Election Name: | Liberal Party of Australia leadership election, 1990 |
| Flag Image: | Liberal-Party-of-Australia-stub.svg |
| Type: | presidential |
| Vote Type: | Caucus |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1989 Liberal Party of Australia leadership spill |
| Previous Year: | 1989 |
| Next Election: | 1993 Liberal Party of Australia leadership spill |
| Next Year: | 1993 |
| Election Date: | 3 April 1990 |
| Candidate1: | John Hewson |
| Colour1: | 0047AB |
| Popular Vote1: | 62 |
| Percentage1: | 75.5% |
| Candidate2: | Peter Reith |
| Colour2: | 0047AB |
| Popular Vote2: | 13 |
| Percentage2: | 16.2% |
| Colour3: | 0047AB |
| Popular Vote3: | 5 |
| Percentage3: | 8.3% |
| 1Blank: | Seat |
| 1Data1: | Wentworth (NSW) |
| 1Data2: | Flinders (Vic.) |
| 1Data3: | Macquarie (NSW) |
| Leader | |
| Before Election: | Andrew Peacock |
| After Election: | John Hewson |
A spill of the leadership of the Liberal Party of Australia took place on 3 April 1990, following the defeat of the Liberal Party at the federal election five days earlier. The spill was won by John Hewson over Peter Reith by 62 votes to 13.[1] Reith was then elected deputy leader of the Party.
An election for the deputy leadership of the party was held, as under Liberal Party rules, all leadership positions are declared vacant after a general election, no matter what the outcome.
Despite winning a slim majority (50.10 percent) of the two-party vote in the 1990 election, the Coalition came seven seats short of government. Andrew Peacock stood down as leader less than a year since he replaced John Howard, and supported his Shadow Treasurer John Hewson to replace him.
| Election Name: | Liberal Party of Australia deputy leadership ballot, 1990 |
| Country: | Australia |
| Type: | presidential |
| Vote Type: | Caucus |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1989 Liberal Party of Australia leadership spill |
| Previous Year: | 1989 |
| Next Election: | 1993 Liberal Party of Australia leadership spill |
| Next Year: | 1993 |
| 2Blank: | Seat |
| Candidate1: | Peter Reith |
| Colour1: | 0047AB |
| 1Data1: | 44 (55.7%) |
| 2Data1: | Flinders (Vic.) |
| Candidate2: | David Jull |
| Colour2: | 0047AB |
| 1Data2: | 34 (44.3%) |
| 2Data2: | Fadden (Qld.) |
| Candidate3: | Fred Chaney |
| Colour3: | 0047AB |
| 1Data3: | Eliminated |
| 2Data3: | Pearce (WA) |
| Deputy Leader | |
| Before Election: | Fred Chaney |
| After Election: | Peter Reith |
The following tables gives the ballot results:
| Name | Votes | Percentage | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Hewson | 62 | 75.5 | ||
| Peter Reith | 13 | 16.2 | ||
| Alasdair Webster | 5 | 8.3 | ||
| Name | Final ballot | Percentage | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Reith | 44 | 55.7 | ||
| David Jull | 35 | 44.3 | ||
| Fred Chaney | ||||
Other candidates:[3]
After his election as leader, Hewson endorsed former leader Peacock as his deputy, which caused a furore with Howard supporters, however, Peacock had no interest in becoming deputy leader again and withdrew happily. Peter Reith was instead elected deputy in a close contest against Peacock supporter David Jull.[4] [5]