Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Deputy Leader of the Nationals in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I will just briefly respond to the senator. I appreciate the senator's comment around how my approach would be in the current circumstances. However I just need to correct the record. It is not my approach; it is the legislation that requires it. New Zealand, as a member of the food forum, must be consulted, and the legislation requires that the food forum's non-New Zealand members—the jurisdictions of Australia—agree to the appointments. I think anybody that has had any involvement with that food forum would know that things are very robustly discussed. Reaching consensus on issues always is as a result of, as I say, very robust discussion and consideration. I am very confident that, even in a future iteration of government, that process would provide the surety to ensure that ministerial discretion did not allow a weighting of board appointments.

The CHAIRMAN: The question is that schedule 2 as amended be agreed to.