Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Assistant Minister for Health. I refer the minister to a decision to shut down the health star rating system website. Does the minister still stand by her statement to the Senate on 13 February 2014 that the Legislative and Governance Forum on Food Regulation:

… 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 and it was premature to have the website live until this was completed.

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

Yes, I do stand by that statement. As I advised the chamber at the time, there had been discussion around the expanded cost-benefit analysis. There was no dissent, indicating that there was no opposition. And I can assure the Senate that—as I am sure some of the senators opposite who have been very involved in this space would know—it is indeed a very robust forum and I would have been under no misapprehension if there was any dissent to what I had put to the meeting.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Is the minister aware that the communique of the ministerial forum meeting makes no reference to any decision by the forum, unanimous or otherwise, delaying the implementation of the health star rating system? Why does this minister continue to make claims that are not supported by the evidence?

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

I can inform the Senate that, contrary to the senator's indication, there is no delay to the health star rating system. The communique that was put out after the meeting clearly indicated that I would direct the department to conduct an expanded cost-benefit analysis. That communique was signed off by all members of the forum, clearly indicating that if there had been anybody who disagreed with that they would have said so at the time. There was no dissent and therefore no opposition.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister produce any evidence whatsoever to support her claim that the meeting of the forum made—and I will use her words—'a unanimous decision' to conduct an extensive cost-benefit analysis and delay the health star rating system pending its completion?

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

Again, to be very clear to the Senate, there is no delay—I will repeat that: no delay—to the process of implementing a health star rating system. As I indicated previously to the Senate, there was no dissent from the members of the forum, indicating no opposition to what I had put to the forum.