The president of Australia’s most powerful rural body, the National Farmers Federation, has leant public support to a Western Australian woman who has lodged a sexual harassment claim against Barnaby Joyce, and suggested the Nationals leaked against her.



The NFF’s president, Fiona Simson took to social media on Sunday to back the woman, describing her as “undeniably one of the most fair dinkum people I know”.

“She is generous, passionate and honest. Whatever she says goes. Hugely courageous. She wanted to give the Nats a chance to sort it out and they leaked instead,” the NFF president said.

The Nationals on Sunday denied the leak had come from them.

The party’s deputy leader, Bridget McKenzie, said she had received assurances from the party president and federal director, and she added: “I understand through a range of networks that it wasn’t unknown who the complainant was”.

The woman’s lawyer told Guardian Australia on Saturday her identity had been revealed by the Weekend Australian on Saturday against her wishes.

The complainant, who has been named subsequently by several media outlets, issued a statement late on Saturday saying she “never intended for this issue to become public”.

“I requested that a formal and confidential investigation into this incident be undertaken by the National party to ensure there is accountability in relation to the incident I raise, and to prevent this type of inappropriate behaviour towards women in the future,” the statement from the complainant said.

“This complaint was not made solely to address the incident against me – it is about speaking up against inappropriate behaviour by people in powerful positions”.

With supporters of the complainant furious about her public identification, McKenzie told the ABC on Sunday the leak did not come from the National party “nor would it, nor should it”.

“I have commitments from the federal president and our federal director,” McKenzie said. “The National party did not breach (the complainant’s) request for confidentiality.”

In a statement to Guardian Australia, the National party’s federal director, Ben Hindmarsh, said later on Sunday: “The National party of Australia has at all times adhered strictly to the terms of confidentiality in the formal complaint.

“We are taking the complaint seriously and acting on it in an appropriate and timely manner.”

Simson’s comments backing the complainant were echoed by Lynne Strong of Cloverhill Dairies, a former Landcare medal winner, who has described the WA woman as a person “with an incredible legacy”.

“She has achieved so much in such a short time and I am confident will achieve so much more,” Strong said. “The last thing agriculture ... needs is for her be known first for being that woman who finally made Barnaby realise it was time to do the right thing”.

Tony Mahar, the NFF’s chief executive, broadly echoed Simson’s critique, saying: “Whatever has occurred here needs sorting immediately by those in control.”

“This can’t be tolerated. We stand together behind an inspirational and courageous leader,” he said.

Pete Mailler, a cattle and grain producer from Boggabilla, who ran against Joyce in last year’s byelection in New England for the rural micro-party CountryMinded, told Guardian Australia he believes the leak was designed to intimidate the complainant, and anyone else contemplating coming forward with any other allegation.

How is this confidential or part of any legitimate due process? Pete Mailler, former rival candidate to Barnaby Joyce

“This sends a message to any others who may have been considering speaking up that they too will be named to face a withering barrage of abuse and condemnation from Nationals faithful,” Mailler said on Sunday.

“The problem for the Nationals is simple enough to understand,” he said. “A confidential complaint about sexual misconduct by Barnaby Joyce was lodged with the National party”.

“The federal president, Larry Anthony, confirmed in the media that the party had received a formal complaint and that it would be treated confidentially and with due process”.

“Forty-eight hours later the name of the complainant is covered on every news outlet in the country. How is this confidential or part of any legitimate due process?”

Mailler said the identity of the leaker didn’t matter, but “it can only have come from the Nationals, either with sanction or by a rogue member of their team”.

“If it was not sanctioned, then the National party should have immediately condemned the breach and defended the right of the complainant to privacy and respect by all including and especially their army of social media trolls”.

“They have not”.

Joyce has previously characterised the sexual harassment complaint as “spurious and defamatory” and has asked that it be referred to police.

The complainant has indicated she will await the outcome of the National party investigation “before determining any future action or commenting further”.

Asked on Sunday whether she was troubled by the allegations of inappropriate behaviour against Joyce, McKenzie said she had been “raised not to listen to rumours”.

But she acknowledged in “hyper-masculine working environments” there was a culture of sexual harassment. She pointed to the gender balance in parliament to demonstrate that women were in the minority, but she said “times are changing, and I think that’s a really positive thing”.

McKenzie pointed to the prime minister’s ban on sexual relationships between ministers and their staff as a “positive step”.

“Obviously I will be abiding by that, but I think ... we have to remember these are just allegations, and I think we do have to give everybody in this process due process and natural justice”.