Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Mental Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Assistant Minister for Health. I refer the minister to her intervention causing the removal of the Health Star Rating website just hours after it went live. Can the minister explain why the website was removed without consultation with members of the Legislative and Governance Forum on Food Regulation? Now that the conflict of interest in her office has been revealed, will the minister do the right thing and put the website back up?

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

In relation to the final part of the senator's question, there is no conflict of interest. In relation to the first part of the question, I clearly outlined to the Senate last week my reasons; I will do so again. My belief was that the website's going live was premature for three reasons. Firstly, the Health Star Rating system has not yet commenced on supermarket shelves. It would have been very confusing for consumers to go into a supermarket and realise that no star rating was on the front of packs as yet. Secondly, the forum took a unanimous decision to have an extensive cost-benefit analysis done that was due to report back to the forum in June this year. It was premature to have the website live until this report was completed. Thirdly, the Front-of-Pack Labelling Oversight and Advisory Committee was charged at the December meeting with advising the forum on processes for dealing with anomalies that still exist in the system and that advice has not yet been given to the forum. The website indicated, at the foot of the website, that it was the Commonwealth of Australia.

I based my decision to direct that the website be taken down on all of those issues. The issue around the placing of the website should correctly be a decision of the forum. There was no decision in the communique put out by the forum relating to the website going live at the December meeting.

Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Mental Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister confirm she has received a letter from the South Australian Minister for Health and Ageing expressing concern about her unilateral decision to bring down the Health Star Rating website and asking her to immediately reinstate it?

Government Senators:

Government senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my right! I ask for silence to be given to the minister when the minister is answering the question, and I also ask for silence when the question is being asked.

Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Mental Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister confirm that the website was established with the authority of the forum, and will the minister do the right thing and put the website back up?

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

I have not yet seen the letter from the South Australian minister, if that exists. The timing of the website going live is not an issue that was discussed at the forum in December and it is not, as yet, determined. That is my understanding. The process is continuing—

Government Senators:

Government senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my right! I am endeavouring to listen to Senator Nash's answer. It is disorderly to interject.

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

The process of moving to front-of-pack labelling has not stopped and I have indicated to the chamber my reasons for the decision I made relating to the website.

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on both sides! I need to hear Senator Nash's answer, as does the questioner.

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

As I was indicating to the chamber, the front-of-pack labelling process is continuing. I have outlined my decisions for directing the department to remove the website, as I believed it was premature in the process.

Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Mental Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Will the Health Star Rating systems be implemented from June—

Government Senators:

Government senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Those interjections are disorderly. I ask for silence on my right, just as I ask for silence when the minister is giving the answer.

Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Mental Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Will the Health Star Rating systems be implemented from June 2014, as planned by the Legislative and Governance Forum on Food Regulation? Can the minister assure the Senate that she will not allow conflicts of interest to further inhibit or delay the implementation of the system?

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

There is no conflict of interest. It has not impeded the process to date.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I cannot hear you because of the interjections that are coming from both my right and my left. They are disorderly.

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

There is no conflict of interest so it will not impede the front-of-pack labelling process. In relation to the first part of the question, the senator knows that the target is indeed June 2014 and that target date remains. The senator is also aware that it is a voluntary system that will be put in place by industry and it is up to industry to meet that target date.