The LNP is continuing to extol the virtues of Assistant Health Minister Fiona Nash, despite her being censured by the Senate over conflict of interest allegations.

The Labor and Greens parties used their Senate superiority to pass the motion late yesterday, censuring Senator Nash with claims that she misled the Upper House.

The allegations relate to the interests of the Assistant Health Minister, and her chief-of-staff’s links to confectionary industry lobbies.

The censure motion has no legal consequences, but Senator Nash will be expected to account for her actions and policies under questioning, provide documents and appear before committees.

The censure is in many ways meaningless, but shows a lack of faith in the Senator and provides some avenues for the House of Representatives to voice its disapproval of a minister.

The Senate moved to convince Senator Nash to provide details of the measures in place to deal with conflicts of interest in the government’s star-rating system for food.

It comes after a healthy eating website was pulled down, allegedly at the urging of the junk food lobby that Senator Nash’s chief-of-staff Alistair Furnival has been closely involved with.

“Not a single person has done anything wrong in this case,” Prime Minister Tony Abbott said in defence of the Assistant Health Minister.

“I can say to the Senate that every step of the way in this process, every step of the way, with every question that had been asked of me relating to this issue, I have acted in good faith, and I have provided to the Senate, and the Senate Estimates Committee, the facts,” Senator Nash said.

Labor Senator Penny Wong is one of many cabinet members who believe Senator Nash should resign over the issue.

“This is a textbook example of a conflict of interest,” Senator Wong said yesterday.

“Yet Senator Nash denies, and continues to deny, that there was anything untoward here.

“So let me spell it out: the Assistant Health Minister makes decisions which directly affect the commercial interests and profits of companies in the food industry, and while she was making these decisions, her most senior adviser owned a lobbying firm which profited from helping food industry clients get what they wanted out of the Government.”

Leader of the Senate Eric Abetz has staunchly defended Senator Nash.

“We on this side know Senator Nash to be a minister of integrity, a minister of capacity... she will continue to be a minister of integrity. She will continue to be a minister of capacity, committed to the service of the people of Australia,” he said.