Mr BEVIS —Again I have a question to the Minister for Defence that he may be able to answer. Minister, do you recall that, in your colleague's written answer to my question last Thursday, she confirmed, `Had any other candidate made a similar request, they would have been responded to in the same manner'? After checking details following concerns about this matter, why did the Defence Public Relations Northern Command advise the office of the Northern Territory Leader of the Opposition that such information is kept confidential, that there was no avenue to access any database that contained rank and that Chief Minister Stone could not have received his information from the military? Are you aware that that particular advice was conveyed to the office of the Leader of the ALP on 30 July, 12 days after your department provided those personal details of troops to Chief Minister Stone? When did you change the policy, or is it now your government's policy to release personal details only to your mates in the Liberal and National parties? How about an answer, instead of fobbing it off?

Mr McLACHLAN —I have answered the question: I said I would get back with further details. The one thing I do know about that election is that the swing to the Country Liberal Party was so enormous that—

Mr Bevis —Mr Speaker, on a point of order: I have asked the minister a very serious question about a very serious matter. It is the third question I have asked without getting an answer in two days. It is not appropriate for the minister to digress and talk about the election results.

Mr SPEAKER —There is no point of order, but I do ask the Minister for Defence to address the substance of the question.

Mr McLACHLAN —All I can assume from the results of the election is that that sort of information must have been delivered to every elector in the whole of the Northern Territory because the swing was so enormous. The Labor Party is obviously violently wounded by this matter. To lose in six elections in a row must be very painful. The only thing the shadow minister can find to raise is this matter. If there is any further information to be added, I will add it. Nevertheless, I simply make the point once again that it was a monumental victory and, with the way you are carrying on, I think the next one will be even greater.