Hansard debates

Mrs McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (17:59): My adjournment debate is for the Minister for Agriculture. On 18 November 2019 the federal government rightly revoked the charity status of radical animal activist organisation Aussie Farms. Aussie Farms are an extremist organisation that encourage criminal trespass, livestock theft and breaches of biosecurity plans on the premises of agricultural enterprises. Many of these properties are of course also the owners’ homes, making these militant activists’ behaviour even more reprehensible. Aussie Farms encouraged unlawful activity with a registration form that asked volunteers whether they would be willing to enter private commercial properties for investigative purposes and ‘do anything asked of them’. Further, Aussie Farms published an online map which publicised the location of hundreds of agricultural properties in a severe threat to privacy.

Since the revocation of their charity status they have changed the name of their organisation to Farm Transparency Project, but their organisation remains identical, with the same executive director—Chris Delforce—and the same objectives of threatening the animal agricultural industry. Farm Transparency Project does not appear to be a registered charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission and, as such, cannot be found on the charity register. Nevertheless, Farm Transparency Project continues to advertise themselves as a charity on their website. Organisations that promote illegal behaviour, intrusion on privacy, invasion of homes and theft of property and that campaign to destroy the agriculture industry must not be allowed to take advantage of commonwealth charity tax concessions. It is your responsibility, Minister, to stand up for Victorian farmers and our agriculture sector, which provides substantial economic benefit to the state and nation, and particularly our often-ignored rural communities, especially in western Victoria. The activities of Aussie Farms—or Farm Transparency Project, as they now call themselves—are completely at odds with, and a direct threat to, the viability and security of this sector. The action I seek is for the minister to write to the federal government to ensure that Farm Transparency Project is never given charity status.