Vegan activists Aussie Farms Inc lose charity status in protest fallout

The Deputy PM flags tougher action against a controversial animal rights group which released personal details of farmers.

Animal activist group Aussie Farms came under fire early this year for releasing the details of farmers across Australia.

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack has flagged the potential for “sterner and tougher” crackdowns on activist group Animal Farms, after it was stripped of its charity status.

The move followed a lengthy and secretive investigation into its operations by the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission.

Mr McCormack said it was a “good thing” the group had its charity status revoked on Monday and declared the government would do more if it continued to facilitate farm protests.

“We have taken action and of course if these people look at ways and means of creating activism that is going to see people invading farms then yes we might need to go a bit sterner and tougher,” Mr McCormack said.

“We don’t want people to invade people’s property and to let animals run free and to create mischief. That is what these people are doing and that is why they needed to be stopped.

“We don’t want this illegal activism affecting the lives and livelihoods of those people who are trying to grow the food, who are trying to grow the fibre for domestic uses and of course for overseas people as well.”

Animal Farms came under sustained attacks from the federal government after it published an interactive map in January that shared location and personal contact details of thousands of Australian farmers.

The group sparked outrage among farming organisations and propelled the little-known outfit into the national spotlight after Prime Minister Scott Morrison branded the activists as “grubs” and pledged to strengthen trespass laws.

ACNC Commissioner Dr Gary Johns said the removal of an organisation’s charity status was reserved for “the most serious of cases.”

“By revoking the charity registration of Aussie Farms Inc, the organisation is no longer able to access Commonwealth charity tax concessions,” Dr Johns said in a statement.

“Revocation of charity status is the most serious action the ACNC can take.” 

The group’s now-infamous website encouraged activists to upload photos and videos taken inside farms and slaughterhouses of examples of what they deemed to be animal cruelty.

Their tactics ignited a fierce debate about the limits of protest when nine activists were charged with trespass after they dramatically chained themselves to a conveyor at a Goulburn abattoir in NSW in April of this year.

On the same day, more than 20 vegan activists stormed Carey Bros Abattoir in Yangan, southeast of Toowoomba, while Melbourne CBD was thrown into chaos after activists chained themselves to vans at the intersection of Flinders and Swanston Streets.

Animal rights protesters block the intersection of Flinders and Swanston Street in Melbourne in April. Picture: AAP

In a letter obtained by The Australian following the group’s day of action, Attorney-General Christian Porter wrote “despite being aware of its prescription under the Privacy Act, Aussie Farms Inc continues to … play a significant role in spreading disruptive protest activity from Australia’s farms to our capital cities.”

Monday’s decision by the ACNC has been welcomed by the federal government, with Assistant Minister for Finance, Charities and Electoral Matters Zed Seselja telling The Courier-Mail Aussie Farms had abused its “privileged position” as a charity.

“There can be no doubt groups such as Aussie Farms, whose operations involve encouraging criminal trespass on private property and the sabotage of legitimate businesses, constitute an abuse of that privileged position [charities occupy],” Senator Seselja said.

The group was created in 2013 and led by Melbourne web developer Chris Delforce – the son of senior DFAT bureaucrat Julie Delforce – and was given charity status in January 2018.

Mr Delforce told The Australian the timing of the ACNC’s decision was “extremely suspicious.”

“We have received no contact from the ACNC around this,” Mr Delforce said.

“We will of course be appealing it [the decision] on the basis that it was clearly not a decision made independently by the ACNC, but instead under the heavy influence of the very industry our organisation has exposed extreme and at times illegal cruelty within.”

“We will be calling for a review of the ACNC’s ability to operate independently and without corruption by business interests.”

The ACNC’s reasons for revoking Aussie Farms’ charity status will likely remain under wraps, after the regulator said the findings of their investigation would not be made public due to “secrecy provisions.”

“The ACNC is prevented from publishing the findings from investigations, or the nature of the concerns, due to secrecy provisions in the ACNC Act,” The regulator said in a statement.

Without charity status Aussie Farms will lose all of its tax concessions, including income tax exemption, GST concessions and FBT concessions.