Liberal Senator Alex Antic threatens to withhold vote over Covid-19 vaccine mandates

A rebel South Australian Liberal senator is threatening to withhold his vote over people being “coerced into taking Covid vaccinations against their will”.

Liberal Senator Alex Antic is threatening to frustrate the federal government’s agenda by withholding his vote until people are given protections from discrimination based upon their Covid-19 vaccine status and choice to refuse a jab.

The conservative South Australian senator is understood to have written to Prime Minister Scott Morrison issuing the ultimatum, which follows a similar move earlier in November by Queensland LNP Senator Gerard Rennick.

Without their votes, the Coalition would need support from the entire five-strong crossbench to pass bills, including One Nation – also opposed to vaccine mandates.

Senator Antic’s stance follows fellow SA conservative Liberal and Barker MP Tony Pasin on October 28 decrying mandating Covid-19 vaccines “by stealth” and arguing inoculation should remain an individual’s choice.

Asked to confirm the ultimatum to withhold his vote, Senator Antic told The Advertiser “people are being coerced into taking Covid vaccinations against their will” and federal parliament must act.

“In South Australia, thousands of people are being stood down from their employment because they have elected to exercise their right to refuse the vaccine,” he said.

“Furthermore, people across the country will soon be compelled to produce documentation to prove their vaccination status using so-called vaccine passports to access basic services.”

Senator Antic said it was unreasonable for people to be discriminated against based on their decisions about medical treatment.

“What is happening is wrong. The federal parliament must act to protect the freedom of Australians to choose their own way of life without interference from government, corporate Australia and bureaucracies with authoritarian tendencies.”

Liberal Senator for South Australia Alex Antic. Picture: AAP Image/Lukas Coch

It is unclear how Senator Antic wants the parliament to act, although United Australia Party MP Craig Kelly has an anti-discrimination Bill before the lower house and One Nation has a similar one before the Senate – neither are likely to pass.

Federal parliament has two sitting weeks remaining for the year, from November 22 to December 2, ahead of an election expected early next year.

The federal government has not mandated vaccination but state governments, including SA, have imposed Covid-19 inoculation requirements for occupations including police, aged care, health and disability support workers.

Adelaide Crows dual AFLW premiership player and nurse Deni Varnhagen on November 6 was moved to the club’s inactive list because she refused to have a Covid-19 vaccination.

SA’s borders reopen on November 23 to fully vaccinated people from all states and territories, although people from local government areas with less than 80 per cent inoculation rates will still have to quarantine for 14 days.

A coalition of the state’s peak business groups on November 9 urged the state government to mandate vaccination for all staff in high-risk scenarios in areas including tourism, hotels, restaurants and retail.