Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has welcomed the stripping of a radical vegan activists group’s charity status, saying there was “nothing charitable” about the “green criminals” and their invasion of farmer’s homes and properties.
The militant group called Aussie Farms drew scorn from Morrison’s ruling conservative coalition government after publishing an interactive online map with farmers’ full personal details in a bid to encourage attacks against them.
The group sparked outrage among farming organisations and propelled the little-known outfit into the national spotlight as Morrison branded the activists as “grubs” and pledged to strengthen trespass laws.
The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission has now revoked its charity status after an investigation. Without charity status, Aussie Farms will lose all of its tax concessions, including income tax exemption.
“Aussie Farms encouraged the invasion of farmers’ homes & properties & the sabotaging of businesses,”Morrison tweeted on Tuesday night.
“It’s why we introduced new laws to ban that sort of bullying of our farmers. There’s nothing charitable about it & I welcome news the group’s charity status has now been revoked.”
This is not the first time Morrison has taken on the Green movement in Australia.
Last April he called animal rights activists “un-Australian green criminals” following protests around Australia, including a major one in Melbourne which led to the arrest of 38 people.
The prime minister said his government was prepared to join a legal challenge if any landholder wanted to launch court action against animal rights activists protesting on their farms.
That threat to act in the interests of farmers and landholders has now been made good by Morrison.