CATHERINE KING MP SHADOW MINISTER FOR HEALTH MEMBER FOR BALLARAT

MEDIA RELEASE RESIGNATION LEAVES SENATOR NASH WITH QUESTIONS TO ANSWER Senator Nash must immediately detail all the information relating to her role in the decision to delay the Health Star Rating system. The Minister must take responsibility for the conflict of interest in her ministerial office the buck stops with Senator Nash. The resignation of her Chief of Staff this afternoon does not absolve Senator Nash of her responsibility to fully explain her knowledge of the conflict and her decision to delay the roll out of the Health Star Rating system. Nor does it provide any clarification around her statements she made in the Senate. In her statement to the Senate yesterday, Senator Nash told the chamber that the ministerial council she chaired in December last year: 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. At a doorstop in Sydney today Senator Nash told journalists: What I did at the forum was put to the forum members that I would direct the department to do an expanded cost benefit analysis. There was no dissent from the forum members to that intent there was no vote.

Plainly there was no unanimous decision by state and territory ministers. On several occasions when Senator Nash responds to questions about her role in this matter she has needed to provide corrections or new information altogether, leaving contradictory statements that now need full explanation. When stopped by the media today, the Minister confirmed ranging discussions with the Prime Ministers office have now been continuing for more than two days. What are those conversations? The Opposition will continue to pursue the facts in these matters. FRIDAY, 14 FEBRUARY 2014 MEDIA CONTACT: ALEXANDER WHITE 0488 134 359