Mark Furner (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Assistant Minister for Health, Senator Nash. I refer the minister to the coalition's election commitment to introduce country of origin labelling for seafood sold in restaurants as a matter of priority. Can the minister explain how this election commitment is being implemented?

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

I thank the senator for his question. Certainly the issue of country of origin labelling is one that is raised with me on many occasions, particularly across rural and regional communities. I am very well aware of the issue when it comes to country of origin labelling of seafood. Nobody who has been involved with the Senate rural affairs committee with Senator Bill Heffernan would be unaware of that particular issue. The government is working through that at the moment. Our priority is to ensure that, when it comes to labelling, we will have a process in place to make sure that that is being addressed.

Mark Furner (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. When will the first fish labelled under Senator Boswell's policy be plated and served? It is a shame he is not in the chamber to assist you in answering this question.

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

I again thank the senator for his question. I will take the details of the exact timing of that on notice. But I can assure senators that the government is going to adhere to all our election commitments. The people across this country are well aware that we will adhere to our election commitments, unlike those on the other side who, in the previous government, did not adhere to their election commitments. Indeed, we only need to look at the phrase 'there will be no carbon tax under a government I lead' to know that it is this government that is going to adhere to election commitments. Those on the other side should ensure that we do adhere to the election commitment of this government to repeal the carbon tax.

Mark Furner (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. I refer to the Prime Minister's statement:

We are a government that will keep its commitments in full.

Will the government keep its commitment on seafood labelling in restaurants?

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

The Prime Minister did say we would be adhering to our election commitments. I think, perhaps—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Order! When there is silence on my left, we will proceed.

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

If the senator had been listening to my previous answer, it would have been very clear that we are going to adhere to our election commitments. It is this coalition government that will be doing that, in stark contrast to those opposite when they were in government. That is a commitment that we have made.