Santo Santoro (Queensland, Liberal Party, Minister for Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

The government will not be supporting the amendments. I would like to state briefly the reasons for that. In terms of the selection of the CEO and the advisory council, I can inform all honourable senators, including those who have just spoken, that the Australian government is committed to ensuring that the chief executive officer and membership of the advisory council of Cancer Australia are of the highest possible standing and calibre. We regard these amendments as unnecessary, particularly in relation to appointments, which we undertake on the basis of merit.

In terms of the specific references to consumer representation on the advisory council, I acknowledge it is a genuine concern of the senators who have spoken or who may not even have spoken. In regard to the proposed amendment that the Cancer Australia advisory council include consumer representation, I am able to advise the Senate that the Hon. Jocelyn Newman has already been appointed to the council. She is a cancer survivor and is a board member of both the National Breast Cancer Foundation and the Breast Cancer Network Australia. On this basis, the proposed amendment is not supported.

Question negatived.