National Farmers' Federation vice-president refuses to step down over 'unacceptable' social media posts
John Hassell says he feels as if he is the victim of a "witch hunt". (ABC Great Southern: Andrew Chounding)
In short:
National Farmers' Federation president Hamish McIntyre says vice-president John Hassell has been asked to resign after making "unacceptable" social media posts.
Mr Hassell responded to posts on X about sexual harassment in the agricultural sector.
Mr Hassell, who deleted but reactivated his X account, says the situation has made his position "really challenging".
The vice-president of the National Farmers' Federation (NFF) has refused to step down after the board asked him to reconsider his position.
President Hamish McIntyre said he asked his deputy, WA farmer John Hassell, to consider stepping down after a series of social media posts.
Hamish McIntyre says the board does not have the power to remove elected officials. (ABC News: Callum Flinn)
The posts were on a range of different issues, including asking a question about the safety of women in the rural workforce, migration and the gender of a female Olympic athlete.
Mr Hassell, a Pingelly farmer, was re-elected as NFF vice-president in October last year and was previously the WAFarmers president.
He confirmed to the ABC he was asked to step down, and that he had deleted his X account before reinstating it.
Posts a 'request' for data
The NFF board took action after posts made on February 11, when Mr Hassell made comments online in response to a video by New South Wales farmer Charlie Bloomfield, which called out the sexual harassment of women in agriculture and quoted a 2021 University of New England study.
The study found two thirds of female workers in rural areas had been harassed, which Mr Bloomfield said in an Instagram post it made him "f***ing furious" and urged others to "call it out".
Mr Bloomfield described an incident on his farm between a female and a visiting male truck driver in which the latter was "reaching across her lap … he was generally just making her feel really uncomfortable because he's up in her grill."
John Hassell says he was simply making a request for more information. (X)
"Please provide the source data!" Mr Hassell wrote on the post. Later he said that "having been aware that previous studies were badly flawed I couldn't be bothered watching."
Mr Hassell told the ABC he did not understand why the post asking for data made people "uptight".
"It wasn't a comment. It was a question. It was a request," he said.
The ensuing debate on X also involved Livestock SA chair Gillian Fennell, who posted a series of other similar studies, saying "if you need more data to prove something that every woman knows."
John Hassell defended his request for data on a post about women's safety in the rural workforce. (X)
Livestock SA is affiliated with the National Farmers' Federation via its membership of Primary Producers SA.
NFF board 'disappointed'
Mr McIntyre said he called Mr Hassell as soon as he became aware of the posts.
"He assured me he'd close his accounts, but it was just very disappointing," Mr McIntyre said.
"The comments are unacceptable and the interaction was unacceptable.
"It doesn't align with our code of ethics and we as a board were very disappointed."
He said it was discussed with the NFF board and a decision was made to ask Mr Hassell to reconsider his elected position.
"And from that discussion with our board, I spoke to him again and said, you know, he should reconsider his position," Mr McIntyre said.
But he admits he has no power to remove Mr Hassell.
"The board doesn't have any legal powers to do any more than that," Mr McIntyre said.
"We're elected and put in these positions by our members, and they then can remove us."
John Hassell was active on the social media platform X. (X)
Process 'grossly unfair'
Mr Hassell has defended his social media posts and his decision to stay on as vice-president.
He said the NFF board did not follow due process and he felt like he was being bullied.
"To me, this is kind of a siege mentality by the board over a comment by someone, which makes me think there's something bigger here at play," Mr Hassell said.
He said deleting his X account was not an admission of guilt.
"I just don't need this backlash over something that's not been said," Mr Hassell said.
"Because of the way this has played out, I've actually reactivated my account because I don't want to lose everything that I had."
Mr McIntyre said he would remain professional while Mr Hassell stayed in the position, but the vice-president admitted the situation was untenable.
He said it made it "really challenging" that a "formal complaint" had not been made and said he thought he was subject to a "witch hunt" and "bullying".