Mr BEAZLEY —My question is directed to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, given that the people of New South Wales have now spoken against the privatisation of public assets used by the whole community, will you now permanently withdraw your bill for the full sell-off of Telstra? Have you heard the message delivered on Saturday, or are you going to ignore it?

Mr HOWARD (Prime Minister) —He is so unpredictable, isn't he! He is so unpredictable one would never have dreamt for a moment that I would have got that question. It has got me totally unprepared! The Leader of the Opposition asked me whether we are going to change our policy on the sale of Telstra. The answer is a resounding no. We are not going to change our policy. The reason we are not going to change our policy is that we took it to the Australian people last October and they voted for it. By the same token, we are not going to change our policy on reforming the Australian taxation system, because we took that policy to the Australian people last October and they voted for it as well.

So far as the New South Wales electorate is concerned, I will rest my case on the words of Mr Bob Carr when he said that it was fought overwhelmingly on state issues. I would make the observation that you would have to have a very, very selective piece of electoral amnesia to imagine that the Leader of the Opposition in the federal Labor Party could draw any comfort at all from the result on Saturday. They had their opportunity in New South Wales.

Let me refer to this parliament. The last time there was a federal contest in New South Wales my colleague the Minister for Sport and Tourism was resoundingly returned. The honourable member for Robertson, Mr Lloyd, was resoundingly returned. The honourable member for Hughes, Danna Vale, was resoundingly returned. The honourable member for Parramatta, Ross Cameron, was resoundingly returned. The honourable member for Macquarie, Kerry Bartlett, was resoundingly returned. There are so many of them I have forgotten all the names. I am very happy that the last time the Leader of the Opposition and I went head to head in New South Wales he got done like a dinner.

Opposition members interjecting—

Mr SPEAKER —Order! I appreciate that the interjections have been good natured, but the House should come to order.