General News
22 November, 2024
Watch: VFF presidential candidates clash heads on national body membership
The VFF presidential election vote commences next week.
The two candidates seeking to become the next president of the Victorian Farmers Federation have clashed heads on whether or not the organisation should rejoin the National Farmers Federation.
In an election debate held on Tuesday, November 19, hosted by ACM's Stock & Land, candidates Danyel Cucinotta and Brett Hosking diverged on how the VFF might move forward.
In September, current VFF president Emma Germano wrote to NFF president David Jochinke, announcing her organisation's decision to split from the national farmer representative body.
At the time, Ms Germano criticised the NFF for conducting what she said was "policy by press release".
Ms Cucinotta, the current vice president under Ms Germano, said while she saw the importance of national farmer advocacy, if elected, she would not be opening the purse strings for Mr Jochinke.
"Do I think I would be handing out half a million to $750,000 worth of cash to the national advocacy bodies?," she asked.
"Absolutely not and I can tell you that from the get go."
She said her view was based off the need for accountability within the NFF and a proper examination of how state farm bodies fed into a national organisation.
Ms Cucinotta said advocacy for farmers at a national level, couldn't be at the expense of Victorian farmers.
Mr Hosking said getting the VFF's voice back in Canberra would "absolutely" be on his to-do list, if elected.
"We need to find a way forward and we need to have a presence in Canberra," he said.
"So many of our decisions are made in Canberra.
"We've got a federal election coming up next year and that's already in train, a plan for that."
He warned against the trade impact of the US election and said the VFF needs to get at the national table.
"It's in the benefit of our farmers here in Victoria that we are there to ensure our voice is heard," he said.
Stock & Land also asked both candidates about the recent turbulent time in the VFF, and all parties agreed that the organisation needed to move forward.
Ms Cucinotta hit out against what she described as a "weird obsession" with the performance of Ms Germano and said she, like every elected leader, had the best intentions.
"I've worked alongside Emma Germano for four years and while I can say to you that whilst I don't agree with everything, and I would absolutely do a number of things differently, I thank her for her time," Ms Cucinotta said.
"She did a lot and I don't believe that any president, irrelevant of who they are, comes in with any ill intent.
"I think this weird obsession over whether or not Emma Germano did something over the last four years does have to stop now."
Mr Hosking said while he tended not to worry about rating other people's performances, he would do things differently.
"I think what we have seen over the last four years has been this unsettledness in the membership and bringing that back I think is really important," he said.
"[It's about] making sure members feel like they have some ownership of it and feeling like it's meeting the challenges that they're facing, their businesses."
On her re-election in 2022, Ms Germano said she would reduce staff numbers in the VFF backroom support team at Farrer House and create efficiencies.
Neither Ms Cucinotta nor Mr Hosking felt this needed to continue.
"For me personally, my version of leadership, that is all operational," Ms Cucinotta said.
"The way that the CEO runs the organisation, that's not for the president or the chair of the board.
"As president you become the chair of the board and it is absolutely your job to direct the way in which the organisation heads...but you only have one employee at a board level, as do all directors, and that is the CEO."
She said her ambition to grow the organisation was not about any cut backs.
Mr Hosking suggested the board sets strategy and needed to set culture.
"[It's about] making sure we've got an organisational culture that is focused on outcomes, focused on results and focused on our members," he said.
"Making sure that we get that culture piece right is absolutely important."
Neither candidate said they would encourage the sale of Farrer House, the home of the VFF offices, in order to raise cash for the organisation.
Voting on the next leadership of the VFF commences on Monday, November 25, and closes on Friday, December 6.