Mr LLOYD (7:58 PM) —In the short time I have available to me tonight I just want to make a few comments on the election result. Obviously, I am very proud of being one of a number of New South Wales marginal seatholders who were returned at the last election who played a very significant part in giving the government a workable majority again in parliament.

There were many people who said that a number of us were swept into power on the anti-Keating factor and that they believed we would be swept out of power and out of our electorates at the next election. There was no shortage of members opposite who were prepared to tell me that. Well, most of us in New South Wales in marginal seats are back here doing the job for our constituents.

I have noticed in this day in parliament that we have an opposition that are in denial. They believe that they should be in government. They have not come to terms with the fact that they are not in government, that they were not elected to government. Despite the full weight of the ALP party machine being thrown at me in Robertson, and despite the fact that I had a high-profile candidate in Labor's ex-senator Belinda Neal against me, the Labor Party could manage only a half per cent swing to them. Even with, as was described, an 800-pound gorilla in the GST on my back, they could manage only half a per cent. Yet they have not done any soul-searching, they have not done any questioning, as to why the people of Australia, and why the people of Robertson, have not supported them. They are sitting there saying, `Well, we should have won.' They are not looking at why they did not win and what they can do to contribute to this country.

Mr SPEAKER —Order! It being 8 p.m., the House stands adjourned.