Ms KING (Ballarat) (15:37): That was a fairly extraordinary contribution from the Minister for the Environment, which is a title many members of the environmental movement say now with tongue in cheek. The Abbott government has certainly failed its first test of integrity. Mr Abbott's assistant health minister, Senator Nash, has breached the Prime Minister's ministerial standards. Let me take you to those standards. They are standards that require that ministers act with the greatest integrity of office, not allow their decisions to be affected by bias and make decisions in the public interest. In fact, that is principle 1.3 under those standards, which says: (i) Ministers must ensure that they act with integrity … (ii) Ministers must observe fairness in making official decisions—that is, to act honestly and reasonably, with consultation as appropriate to the matter at issue … (iii) Ministers must accept accountability for the exercise of the powers and functions of their office—that is, to ensure that their conduct, representations and decisions … are open to public scrutiny and explanation. By any standard, the Assistant Minister for Health has failed those standards. There was a conflict of interest at the heart of her office. That conflict has led to an infected public policy decision. It is so corrupted by the conflict of interest that the only way to resolve it is for the Minister for Health to reverse it. The Minister for Health claims to be so concerned about the health impacts of obesity and diabetes, but he has let this infected public policy decision stand. Worse, he has allowed the ridiculous antics of the member for Herbert to mock a health policy that every public health and obesity expert in the country supports. Sixty-six eminent public health professionals have written that this infected public policy decision should absolutely be reversed, and all he can do is mock. Instead, the government has sought to destroy two years of work on the health star rating system and to trash the strong relationships that the former shadow parliamentary secretary, the member for Boothby, spent years developing with the sector. They trashed those relationships with the sector that the member for Boothby developed. The member for Boothby has shown some integrity in this debate by standing up for the health star rating system. A former health professional himself— Mr Christensen: Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The member can disagree with our argument but she cannot question our integrity just because she is opposed to it. The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Hon. BC Scott ): There is no point of order. Ms KING: The member for Boothby has shown great integrity in this debate, standing up for the health star rating system. I cannot say the same for the Assistant Minister for Health. When the conflict of interest emerged, she tried to cover it up. Now she continues to mislead parliament and refuses to accept responsibility. She misled Senate estimates yesterday. She said her former chief of staff, Alistair Furnival, had resigned his directorship of SMI, which owns the lobbying firm Australian Public Affairs. This is not true. The records show that he still held that directorship on 13 February. She said the Prime Minister's statement of standards allowed for staff to divest interests to their spouses. This is not true. The statement says that transferring interests to family members is not an acceptable form of divestment. Senator Nash told estimates that she had required her chief of staff to divest himself of these interests and directorships. She said: 'I required those undertakings. It was my responsibility. I ensured that they were done.' The trouble is that these things were not done. But now she is refusing to accept any responsibility. What emerged further last night was just how close this cosy little relationship was between the Prime Minister, the assistant health minister's former chief of staff and the announcement of $16 million for Cadbury. O nly a candidate between them at the announcement . Pollie Pedal, sponsored by Cadbury. There are photos of the Prime Minister and the former chief of staff together, teammates in the Cadbury Pollie Pedal that I was denied the right to have a ride in. If ever there was a case of something being rotten in the state of Denmark then this is absolutely it. The Prime Minister should reverse this infected policy decision now. (Time expired) Mr Nikolic: Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The member was impugning improper motives towards the end of that. I ask the honourable member to withdraw that last section of her speech. The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member for Ballarat would assist the chamber in the interests of getting on with the job if she would withdraw. Ms King: I am unable to withdraw because it is simply true. There is a close relationship between the Prime Minister, the assistant health minister's former chief of staff and the $16 million Cadbury— The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member for Ballarat does not have the call. I will now ask the member for Ballarat to withdraw. If you do not, you will be defying the chair and you know the consequences. Ms King: Regretfully, I am defying the chair. The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Just withdraw. Ms King: Regretfully, I am defying the chair. The DEPUTY SPEAKER: You are standing by your statement that you will not withdraw. Under 94(a) the member for Ballarat will leave the chamber for defying the chair. The member for Ballarat then left the chamber.