Today Australia’s peak farm body, the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF), elected Alexander ‘Jock’ Laurie as its 10th President, with outgoing President David Crombie stepping down after completing his full four-year term.Mr Laurie, 51, returns to farm representation after a year off, following his four years as President of the NSW Farmers’ Association (NSWFA), during which time he also served on the NFF Board, Members’ Council and as a Trustee of the Australian Farmers’ Fighting Fund. He has been an Executive Councillor with NSWFA since 2000.

A fourth generation grazier, Mr Laurie and his wife Lyn, along with their three children Caroline, Alexander and Angus, run fine wool sheep, cross-bred lambs and cattle at their ‘Torsmond’ property near Walcha in NSW.

Mr Laurie paid tribute to David Crombie for his outstanding service, presiding over a period of demonstrable achievement, which included major policy breakthroughs, a seismic shift in public perception of Australian farmers and ushering in a new era of farm representation (see ‘Attachment A’ for more details).

The new president also acknowledged Charles Burke for his six years as Vice-President of the NFF, as well as chairing the NFF Economics Committee since 2003 and the NFF Drought Task Force since 2004. He also thanked outgoing Board members Bill Bray, John Cotter and Nick Keatinge for their service.

Mr Laurie welcomed the election of Duncan Fraser as the new Vice-President of the NFF, along with the election of two new Board members in Brent Finlay and Joanne Grainger, and the re-election of Board members Charles Armstrong, Andrew Broad and Alf Cristaudo.

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