Morrison Government promise jail for activists inciting farm trespass

NEW laws could see animal activists face up to 12 months in jail for disclosing personal information to incite farm trespass, if the Federal Government is re-elected.

Privacy concerns: The Aussie Farms map that has sparked privacy concerns across the country has seen the Morrision Government promise new laws if re-elected.

NEW laws could see animal activists face up to 12 months in jail for disclosing personal information to incite farm trespass, if the Federal Government is re-elected.

Attorney-General Christian Porter said the new offence would be designed specifically to protect farmers and primary producers.

ACTIVISTS GO FROM COURT TO PROTEST

“The Morrison Government will, if re-elected, introduce a new criminal offence specifically designed to protect Australian farmers from the sort of vigilante action we have seen this week,” he said.

“Penalties of up to 12 months imprisonment will apply to individuals who use a carriage service, such as the internet, to disclose personal information with the intention that another person would use that information to trespass on agricultural land.

“The law would also apply to other primary producers such as abattoirs.”

Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said activists who use the personal information of farmers to incite trespass “deserve to go to jail”.

FARMERS FURIOUS OVER ACTIVISTS’ MAP

Federal Agriculture opposition spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon said the Morrison Government is just “scrambling to fix a problem largely of its own making”.

“Labor stands by our farmers and is ready to act but this complex problem requires a sophisticated response, not just a politically-driven scramble five minutes before an election,” he said.

“The abolition of the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy, the Animal Welfare Unit and the Inspector General of Animal Welfare have fuelled animal activism.

“So too has the blind eye the Government turned to the live sheep trade.”

Mr Fitzgibbon said Labor will consider proposed increases in penalties and new offences and “supports them in principle … but alone, threatening people with jail for using their iPhones to organise a protest rally is not likely to have any meaningful impact”.

ACTIVIST FINED $1 FOR BIOSECURITY BREACH

The National Farmers Federation have welcomed the decision.

“The move to throw the book at these offenders is a relief to farming families, who are right now under siege,” NFF chief executive officer Tony Mahar said.

“We are sure the proposal will receive bipartisan support and we look forward to working with the Parliament to see these tough but fair new sanctions introduced.

“We await a decision by the Charities Commissioner to strip Aussie Farms of it’s charity status.”

AUSSIE FARMS PROBED UNDER PRIVACY ACT

It comes after the Federal Government’s recent move in bringing the controversial animal activist group Aussie Farms under the Privacy Act, from which it used to be exempt.

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner told The Weekly Times it was now “conducting inquiries with Aussie Farms to establish whether or not they are operating in compliance with the Act”.