Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to add to an answer provided by me to the Senate earlier today during question time. The Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Senator Wong, asked me about my chief of staff, his spouse and the Australian Public Affairs, APA, company. For the sake of completeness I provide the following additional information to the Senate.

Australian Public Affairs, APA, is a media and public affairs company. It is run by Ms Tracey Cain, who, as some senators will recall, is a former press gallery journalist. Ms Cain is the spouse of my chief of staff, Mr Alastair Furnival. Prior to working for me, Mr Furnival was APA's chairman, and, because of that previous position, he has a shareholding in the company. Prior to his appointment to my staff, arrangements were put in place so that his previous business activities could not conflict with his obligations under the statement of standards for ministerial staff—or, indeed, with my obligations as a minister.

In addition to complying with proper internal standards, his spouse gave undertakings that both she and the company would not (a) make representations to either myself or Minister Dutton; (b) make representations to the department of health; or (c) make representations on behalf of any clients to any other minister of the Commonwealth in relation to the health portfolio. On the advice available to me, these undertakings have been honoured in full. Indeed, neither my chief of staff nor my office has met with Mondalez—formerly Kraft—the owners of Cadbury, with whom he worked as a chief economist.

In short: both Mr Furnival and Ms Cain have taken proper and appropriate steps to prevent conflicts or potential conflicts between the private business and his duties as my chief of staff by withdrawing from any work for clients in the health portfolio, as I have outlined above.

At the time of answering Senator Wong's question I did not have every detail of this information at hand, but, having made further checks after question time, I provide this information to the Senate.