Mimi Bekhechi, PETA
Shock, horror: a bureaucrat who worked at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s (DFAT) Agricultural Development and Food Security section follows the social media pages of animal protection groups! Dr Julie Delforce – a senior sector specialist in DFAT’s agricultural and food division – has resigned from the Department after being stood down for ‘following’ her son’s website, Aussie Farms.
In a year of budgeting bungles and dubious funding allocations, we should be pleased to learn that Dr Delforce is well-educated in aspects of animal welfare. As fair-minded Australians, we should support the employment of compassionate, informed people in our public service. Their insight might just help prevent the routine abuse of animals on Australian farms – the sort that would be illegal if enacted on household dogs or cats – and which often stays undocumented due to coercive ag-gag laws.
If more of us could see the way that animals bellow for their stolen children, suffer intense confinement, and fight for their lives, we would go vegan today. We can all support Aussie farmers by purchasing healthy, climate-friendly and cruelty-free ingredients from fruit and vegetable producers, and transition away from cruel animal ‘products’ immediately.
Ms Delforce was not dismissed, she resigned. Nor was found to have breached the Australian Public Service Conduct for ” liking” her son’s or other animal rights pages,, but that did show she was aware of Aussie Farms and what it was about. Following is DFAT’s statement :
“This was in accordance with the Australian Public Service Commission’s guidelines for investigations into allegations of breaches of the Australian Public Service (APS) Code of Conduct,” the statement said.
“This process found Dr Delforce had not reported her connections to Aussie Farms in accordance with departmental requirements.
“The department sanctioned Dr Delforce in line with the decisions of the external decision makers.
“Subsequently, Dr Delforce resigned from the department.”
I worked with Ms Delforce, respected her and was dissapointed to read this. However the APS demands a high standard of probity and it’s unsurprising that it was considered a breach not declaring an association with an organisation promoting illegal action in a sector of Australia’s aid program in which she worked .