He and his wife Tracey Cain own a company that performed work for the alcohol industry as recently as 2012. Greens Senator Dr Richard Di Natale says the Assistant Health Minister Fiona Nash should resign. Credit:James Boddington Mr Furnival resigned on Friday, denying he had acted improperly but citing a ''smear campaign'' over his role in taking down a healthy food rating website, which he said was a distraction from the government's work in health. The company owned by Mr Furnival and Ms Cain, Australian Public Affairs, has lobbied for the Australian Beverages Council, Cadbury, Oreo and Kraft peanut butter. Senator Nash originally told the Senate Mr Furnival had ''no connection'' to the lobbying firm, but later revealed he had a ''shareholding'' in the company. Fairfax Media later revealed Mr Furnival and Ms Cain are the only shareholders in a company called Strategic Issues Management, which wholly owns Australian Public Affairs.

Responding to the latest revelations, Senator Di Natale said he had ''grave concerns'' about Senator Nash's conduct. ''It's very clear that the Minister has misled the parliament – that either intentionally or unintentionally, she hasn't been honest with her evidence,'' he said. ''The impact of that is that our efforts on some of the greatest health challenges facing our nation have been compromised, both by denying consumers access to information about unhealthy foods and by defunding an alcohol group when alcohol-related harm is such an important issue facing the community. It just demonstrates that we have a Minister who has been prepared to put the interests of big business ahead of protecting ordinary people. ''The relationship between the big end of town, lobbyists and politicians is a cancer inside the parliament, and it's time to take action.'' Senator di Natale said Senator Nash was also conflicted on tobacco, because her party, the Nationals, continued to accept donations from cigarette makers while she oversaw tobacco policy.

Preventative health groups have complained of Senator Nash repeatedly declining to meet with them, and insisting they conduct all business through Mr Furnival. In January, the head of the WA Network of Alcohol and other Drug Agencies wrote to Senator Nash on behalf of the nation's 250 different drug bodies requesting a meeting to discuss options for communication following her decision to cancel funding for the peak body. But this meeting was declined, with no reason given. Mike Daube, the chair of the WA Network, said he was shocked the minister would not meet with such a high-level party in the area for which she was responsible. ''Traditionally there has been a bipartisan approach that ministers have a point of contact with the sector so they can understand the sectors concerns,'' Mr Daube said.

''It's just inconceivable that the minister seems to have abandoned that.'' Public Health Association head Michael Moore has also said that he is not aware of the minister meeting with a single preventative health group. Labor's health spokeswoman Catherine King has accused Senator Nash of breaching ministerial standards, but has stopped short of calling for her resignation, saying it was up to the Prime Minister to take action. ''It is not satisfactory for the Prime Minister to say nothing on this matter indefinitely,'' Ms King said on Tuesday. A spokeswoman for Senator Nash did not respond to requests for comment.

Loading A spokeswoman for Prime Minister Tony Abbott said he ''has confidence in Senator Nash''. ''With the staff member now departed, the matter has concluded,'' the spokeswoman said.