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| Fiona Nash chief of staff: minister stays quiet on whether he approved role | |
| (7 months later) | |
| The special minister of state, Michael Ronaldson, has refused to say whether he sent a letter approving Fiona Nash’s chief of staff to start work while he was still director of a company that owned a lobbying firm representing junk food clients. | The special minister of state, Michael Ronaldson, has refused to say whether he sent a letter approving Fiona Nash’s chief of staff to start work while he was still director of a company that owned a lobbying firm representing junk food clients. |
| The assistant health minister’s chief of staff resigned amid allegations of conflicts of interest after her office intervened to shut down a food rating website earlier this month. | The assistant health minister’s chief of staff resigned amid allegations of conflicts of interest after her office intervened to shut down a food rating website earlier this month. |
| Ronaldson was questioned by senator Penny Wong in Senate estimates on Tuesday night about whether he knew Alastair Furnival still held a directorship and co-owned Strategic Issues Management, one of the three companies that makes up the Australian Public Affairs (APA) partnership, when he took up the job late last year. | Ronaldson was questioned by senator Penny Wong in Senate estimates on Tuesday night about whether he knew Alastair Furnival still held a directorship and co-owned Strategic Issues Management, one of the three companies that makes up the Australian Public Affairs (APA) partnership, when he took up the job late last year. |
| Under the statement of ministerial staff standards the special minister of state must send a letter of permission for a ministerial staffer to work while retaining a directorship of a company. | Under the statement of ministerial staff standards the special minister of state must send a letter of permission for a ministerial staffer to work while retaining a directorship of a company. |
| Ronaldson sits on the government staffing committee which vets and approves staff appointments to ministerial offices and took the question about whether he sent a letter of approval on notice. | Ronaldson sits on the government staffing committee which vets and approves staff appointments to ministerial offices and took the question about whether he sent a letter of approval on notice. |
| Furnival had three contracts which were signed off by the prime minister’s chief of staff, Peta Credlin, two of them short term and one ongoing. | Furnival had three contracts which were signed off by the prime minister’s chief of staff, Peta Credlin, two of them short term and one ongoing. |
| “I’m happy to tell you this, it was common knowledge where Mr Furnival had previously worked, it was non-secret, it wasn’t hidden by anyone, it would have been clearly obvious to the Australian Labor party as it was to the government staffing committee, they were matters the government staffing committee discussed which were put back to minister Nash,” Ronaldson said. | “I’m happy to tell you this, it was common knowledge where Mr Furnival had previously worked, it was non-secret, it wasn’t hidden by anyone, it would have been clearly obvious to the Australian Labor party as it was to the government staffing committee, they were matters the government staffing committee discussed which were put back to minister Nash,” Ronaldson said. |
| He referred the committee Nash’s statement to the senate on 11 February which said arrangements were put in place so Furnival’s previous business activities would not conflict with his job and Ronaldson said it took time to divest oneself of shareholdings and directorships. | He referred the committee Nash’s statement to the senate on 11 February which said arrangements were put in place so Furnival’s previous business activities would not conflict with his job and Ronaldson said it took time to divest oneself of shareholdings and directorships. |
| He said when Furnival was being hired he had no intention of retaining his position as director of Strategic Issues Management. | He said when Furnival was being hired he had no intention of retaining his position as director of Strategic Issues Management. |
| When asked if he had written the letter giving permission for Furnival to start as chief of staff while still director of the company Ronaldson repeatedly said he was not going to discuss the internal workings of the government staffing committee. | When asked if he had written the letter giving permission for Furnival to start as chief of staff while still director of the company Ronaldson repeatedly said he was not going to discuss the internal workings of the government staffing committee. |
| “There were two temporary contracts and one ongoing, the government staffing committee was not prepared to accept an ongoing contract from Mr Furnival until it was satisfied the requirements it had imposed upon Mr Furnival and his wife has been met, and that was done and the final contract was done on the back of an ongoing meetings of the staffing committee,” he said. | “There were two temporary contracts and one ongoing, the government staffing committee was not prepared to accept an ongoing contract from Mr Furnival until it was satisfied the requirements it had imposed upon Mr Furnival and his wife has been met, and that was done and the final contract was done on the back of an ongoing meetings of the staffing committee,” he said. |
| Ronaldson referred to conflict-of-interest allegations that had occurred under previous Labor governments including the awarding of a lucrative PR contract to a staffer’s wife without going to tender under the Rudd government and said Labor had a “disgraceful” record. | Ronaldson referred to conflict-of-interest allegations that had occurred under previous Labor governments including the awarding of a lucrative PR contract to a staffer’s wife without going to tender under the Rudd government and said Labor had a “disgraceful” record. |
| Wong spent about an hour after the dinner break continuing to question Ronaldson on the hiring of Furnival and at one point he said she was “carrying on like a pork chop” about process. | Wong spent about an hour after the dinner break continuing to question Ronaldson on the hiring of Furnival and at one point he said she was “carrying on like a pork chop” about process. |
| He said Furnival had given undertakings he was going to divest himself of the interests and when asked if that requirement was recorded anywhere he replied: “I don’t whether it was in writing or verbal … the government staffing committee quite rightly knew there was potential for conflict of interest.” | He said Furnival had given undertakings he was going to divest himself of the interests and when asked if that requirement was recorded anywhere he replied: “I don’t whether it was in writing or verbal … the government staffing committee quite rightly knew there was potential for conflict of interest.” |
| “At that stage there was no intention on behalf of Mr Furnival to retain that position,” he said. | “At that stage there was no intention on behalf of Mr Furnival to retain that position,” he said. |
| Paragraph six of the statement of standards for ministerial staff says ministerial staff must “have no involvement in outside employment or in the daily work of any business, or retain a directorship of a company, without the written agreement of their minister and the special minister of state.” | Paragraph six of the statement of standards for ministerial staff says ministerial staff must “have no involvement in outside employment or in the daily work of any business, or retain a directorship of a company, without the written agreement of their minister and the special minister of state.” |
| Furnival was given a contract to work as Nash’s chief of staff from 19 September last year until 22 November. He was then given another contract until 28 February of this year but on 3 February was given a contract of ongoing agreement. | Furnival was given a contract to work as Nash’s chief of staff from 19 September last year until 22 November. He was then given another contract until 28 February of this year but on 3 February was given a contract of ongoing agreement. |
| In the same month he intervened to have a healthy food rating website pulled down. Nash said it was put up prematurely and the star rating system was not up “up and running”. | In the same month he intervened to have a healthy food rating website pulled down. Nash said it was put up prematurely and the star rating system was not up “up and running”. |
| Furnival’s wife, Tracey Cain, owns Australian Public Affairs, a lobby firm which had represented the Australian Beverages Council and Mondelez. | Furnival’s wife, Tracey Cain, owns Australian Public Affairs, a lobby firm which had represented the Australian Beverages Council and Mondelez. |
| Mondelez owns Cadbury and Kraft and members of the Australian Beverages Council include Schweppes, Coca-Cola and Pepsi. | Mondelez owns Cadbury and Kraft and members of the Australian Beverages Council include Schweppes, Coca-Cola and Pepsi. |