Victoria’s peak farm body has rejected a second attempt by more than 200 members to hold an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) in a bid to sack the board on the grounds of financial mismanagement.
Key points:
- A second attempt to dissolve the board of the VFF has been rejected
- Victorian Farmers Federation President Emma Germano says she is being bullied but will not resign
- Both sides have been advised to communicate only through lawyers
It is the latest turmoil for the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF), which saw three board members quit last month.
That followed a revelation in June that its dairy members had set up a breakaway group.
There are now allegations of bullying and the VFF has ordered the members of the splinter group to only speak to the organisation through lawyers.
Second push ‘invalid’
A request by more than 150 members to hold an EGM in an attempt to dissolve the VFF board and spill elected positions was “defective” was announced by the VFF in July.
The push has been led by former grains president Brett Hosking and Andrew Weidemann.
A second attempt today, with the backing of about 200 members, to hold an EGM and move to dismiss elected VFF directors, Ms Germano and vice president Danyel Cucinotta, was rejected on similar grounds.
The rumblings against the VFF leadership began in January when a group of grain-grower members wrote to the board alleging financial mismanagement and concerns about a lack of VFF staff.
In May, an almost $10 million share portfolio established in the 1990s was liquidated to generate income for the VFF grains committee.
The liquidation happened against the wishes of grain members, and the proceeds were used to pay down the Federation’s debt.
The disgruntled members say they are pursuing ousting the board, claiming poor financial management, a “mass decline” in membership and lack of communication by leadership with grassroots members.
But the VFF president has been resolute, claiming the latest bid to hold an EGM was invalid and would have “put the Federation in immediate breach of the Corporations Act.”
“There is no mechanism by which, through an EGM, you can replace the president and vice president,” VFF president Emma Germano told the Victorian Country Hour.
“[These roles] are democratically and constitutionally elected and it’s been deemed invalid and we won’t be holding and EGM in [line with] their request.
“It’s not my job to help people who are trying to spill the leadership. It’s our job to help run the organisation.”
‘I’m not going to resign’
Ms Germano also labelled the push to dismiss her and vice president Ms Cucinotta as a “personal attack” and a “coup against the leadership”, claiming the group wanted “her head on a pike”.
She said the renegade members’ “childish and frankly, pathetic behaviour” was in response to her attempt to modernise the VFF and it was time for the organisation to focus on advocating for the farmers of Victoria.
“I’m not going to resign on the back of bullying and harassment,” Ms Germano said.
Mr Hosking strongly rejected claims his group had bullied or harassed Ms Germano or other VFF leaders.
“I have never done anything that could be described in any way as bullying,” he said.
Reliant on legal advice
Mr Hosking said they relied on legal advice in submitting the latest letter to the VFF so the second rejection came as a surprise, but they would now consider their next move.
Despite Ms Germano inviting the disaffected members to meet with the board, Mr Hosking indicated things had soured significantly between the two camps.
“We have been told by the VFF all communication needs to be lawyer to lawyer,” he said.
“We have called for accountability and for the leadership of the VFF to stand before its members and put [our proposal] to a vote.”
The organisation on Friday cancelled its planned November EGM where it planned to make constitutional changes in response to “feedback provided by members”.
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