DFAT spent almost $100,000 on ag bureaucrat investigation

Almost $100,000 of taxpayer money was spent on an independent investigation that confirmed an ag bureaucrat’s links to Aussie Farms, after the Federal Government’s internal investigation failed to find the links.

The Federal Government spent almost $100,000 to commission an investigation into senior employee Dr Julie Delforce and DFAT’s own investigation processes.

EXCLUSIVE: ALMOST $100,000 of taxpayer money was spent on an investigation into an agriculture bureaucrat’s links to animal activist groups and a review of the federal department that failed to find the links.

The Weekly Times can reveal the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spent $99,889 on commissioning one of Australia’s largest law firms, Clayton Utz, to investigate senior employee Dr Julie Delforce and its own department’s investigation processes and conflict of interest policy.

The investigation came after The Weekly Times exposed Dr Delforce’s business links to controversial animal activist group Aussie Farms last year.

DFAT had refused to disclose the cost of the investigation but following pressure from The Weekly Times, the department finally revealed thefigure this week.

However, it is still unknown how much Dr Delforce, a senior sector specialist with DFAT’s agricultural productivity and food security division, was paid when she was stood down with full pay for at least five months during the investigation.

It comes after The Weekly Times revealed last week Dr Delforce had resigned after being sanctioned by the department when Clayton Utz confirmed her links to Aussie Farms.

In September last year, The Weekly Times exposed Dr Delforce’s business links to the group, which resulted in DFAT undertaking its own month-long internal investigation which found there was “no reason” the senior public servant shouldn’t keep her job.

The Weekly Times went on to reveal Dr Delforce was also the co-owner of at least five animal activist websites that sought donations to fund farm trespass and livestock theft, and as a result Dr Delforce was stood down and Clayton Utz was commissioned to undertake an independent investigation.

National Farmers’ Federation chief executive Tony Mahar said the “massive amount” spent on the Clayton Utz investigation “doesn’t pass the pub test”.

“An expenditure of almost $100,000 of taxpayers’ money on the investigation into Dr Delforce’s links with Aussie Farms, seems like a massive amount of money,” Mr Mahar said.

“One would imagine a department as well-resourced as DFAT, would have the means to successfully carry out an investigation of this kind, internally.”

Victorian Farmers Federation president David Jochinke said if the Government could find that much money to spend on a thorough investigation of one person, they should put the same effort into “finding justice for farmers who have been wrongly accused” of animal cruelty by Aussie Farms and its infamous map that pinpoints the details of almost 6000 farms and businesses across the country.

“The farmers in this circumstance have had no support and yet we are able to find funds to put somebody (Dr Delforce) through this process,” Mr Jochinke said.

“We want the same amount of respect and investigation and effort put into defending and clearing those farmers (targeted by Aussie Farms’ map) and to remove them from what is essentially a persecution of people doing nothing wrong.”

Mr Mahar agreed that it was “completely unacceptable” farmers on the map “still live with the threat of farm invasion”.

Despite DFAT previously saying it would not release Clayton Utz’ recommendations to the department, it was confirmed to The Weekly Times this week the recommendations related to more training for supervisors, new procedures to identify employees who have not completed online conflict of interest declarations, strengthened investigation procedures and handling of alleged misconduct.

The recommendations are expected to be implemented by September this year.

But Mr Mahar said the NFF wanted to see them “implemented immediately to prevent a situation like that with Dr Delforce and the first inadequate investigation undertaken by DFAT, happening again.”

A spokesman for Shadow Trade Minister Madeleine King encouraged the Government to be transparent about how it intends to manage “these issues” into the future.

Aussie Farms director and Dr Delforce’s son Chris Delforce told media he had registered domain names used for his activism under his parents ABN without their knowledge, but did not answer questions from The Weekly Times.

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