VFF battle: Commodity groups to lose power

The Victorian Farmers Federation has emailed pre-filled proxy forms to members, which back cutting commodity groups’ power.

Warracknabeal farmer and former VFF Grains Group president Ross Johns said the pre-filled proxy process “showed what desperate measures the board will go to”. Picture: Dannika Bonser

The Victorian Farmers Federation board has emailed pre-filled proxy forms to its members in the lead-up to its February 20 annual general meeting, urging them to back constitutional changes that strip commodity groups of power and impose a new code of conduct.

The emails started appearing in members’ inboxes this week, with a message from VFF president Emma Germano stating it would take “just a few seconds” to electronically sign the pre-filled proxy, granting her the power to vote at the AGM on their behalf in favour of the constitutional reforms.

“Ahead of VFF Annual General Meeting on the 20th of February, we are asking for your support to update the VFF Constitution,” Ms Germano’s email states.

“We stand for every single farmer and we always will – but the organisation must keep moving with the times to ensure we are effective for generations to come.”

But a group of current and former grains, dairy and livestock leaders opposed to the changes, have condemned using pre-filled proxies, arguing the board had unfairly used its privileged access to members’ personal details to get votes.

Warracknabeal farmer and former VFF Grains Group president Ross Johns said the pre-filled proxy process “showed what desperate measures the board will go to”.

Unlike the board, Mr Johns said he and other farmers campaigning against the constitutional changes had no access to the members list and had to phone those they knew, urging them to attend the AGM or fill in proxy forms.

At least 75 per cent of VFF members (including proxies) attending the AGM must vote in favour of the constitutional changes for them to be adopted.

The constitutional changes give the board the power to merge or dissolve commodity groups at its sole discretion and strips dairy, grains, livestock, horticulture and intensive commodity group presidents of their automatic right to a position on the board.

The number of farmers on the board will also be cut from the current seven to four (Clause 10.1.1).

The new constitution also introduces a new code of conduct, under which “the Board has the power to remove a member of the Branch Executive or Commodity Policy Council in the event of non-compliance (Clause 31.1.1)”.

The current constitution only allows a commodity group to be merged or dissolved (Clause 29.1.1) at an AGM “upon the request of any Commodity Policy Council … by a resolution passed by no fewer than three fourths majority of the Voting Members present”.

But the new constitution states (Clause 11.1.2) the board at “its sole discretion and after consultation with affected Voting Members dissolve or merge one or more Commodity

Groups”.

Clause 11.1.2 of the new constitution also grants the board to “dissolve or merge” branches at its sole discretion after consultation with members.