Senator stoush: Gerrard Rennick Covid claims slammed by Murray Watt, PM urged to take action

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is being urged to take action against a senator who has accused governments of “tyranny” and slammed plans to vaccinate kids.

Senator Murray Watt is accusing fellow Queensland senator Gerard Rennick of “putting lives at risk” by spreading “misinformation” about Covid-19 vaccines – claims he strongly denies.

Mr Watt, a Labor senator and based on the Gold Coast, said Prime Minister Scott Morrison should consider disendorsing Mr Rennick and other Liberal party parliamentarians who he accused of “undermining” the government’s pro-vaccination message.

Labor Senator Murray Watt. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Liberal Party Senator Gerard Rennick. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage.

But Mr Rennick, who has been highlighting what he says is a lack of compensation and help for those claiming vaccine side effects, says he is no anti-vaxxer, is “pro-choice” and not worried about Mr Watt’s accusations.

“If the government on the one hand says that Novak Djokovic is a threat to civil order, through ventilating anti-vax sentiment, why do they continue allowing their own members to do so,” Mr Watt said.

“It completely goes against every publicly-funded information campaign the government has run about encouraging people to get vaccinated.”

Senator Rennick gained more than 100,000 followers on social media in recent months, with repeated posts questioning the safety of vaccination, accusing governments of “tyranny” and pharmaceutical companies of alleged “fraudulent behaviour”.

Senator Gerard Rennick's Facebook page.

He also accused Mr Morrison of showing “a complete lack of respect for parental rights” by encouraging parents to get their children vaccinated.

Mr Watt said the language used was troubling.

“Senator Rennick’s behaviour is irresponsible,” he said, claiming: “It generates anger and division in our community and it’s putting lives at risk by spreading misinformation and encouraging the kind of (unrest) we’ve seen take place in Australia.”

Mr Watt also criticised that Mr Rennick has repeatedly highlighted many people who die with Covid are older people or have underlying health conditions.

“That sort of attitude shows contempt for older members of our community,” Mr Watt said.

“An Australian member of parliament should care about every member of our community whether they be young or old, sick or well.”

Mr Rennick told the Bulletin he was not an “anti-vaxxer”, said he was not worried about being thrown out of the Liberal Party and accused Mr Watt of “throwing s---”.

“I’m not promoting anti-vaxxer sentiment, I’m pro safety, pro quality assurance and pro choice,” he said.

“To just call me an anti-vaxxer is complete and utter rubbish.”

Senator Gerard Rennick's Facebook page.

Senator Rennick told the Bulletin “you don’t destroy the strong to protect the weak”, but said this did not mean he believed the lives of the vulnerable didn’t matter – rather that they could be treated without measures such as lockdowns, border closures and vaccine mandates.

“It’s not about saying these people are expendable, it’s just you don’t have to burn the whole place down to save sick people,” he said.

Asked whether he believed the federal government of which he was a part was “tyrannical”, Senator Rennick said it should not have approved Covid-19 vaccines for children.

“I didn’t say it quite like that but ultimately they should not have approved that vaccine for children because proper tests were not done,” he claimed.

Mr Morrison on Tuesday publicly admonished Queensland MP George Christensen for spreading “dangerous” vaccine misinformation.

In November the Prime Minister said he had spoken to Senator Rennick about his views.

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Originally published as Senator stoush: Gerrard Rennick Covid claims slammed by Murray Watt, PM urged to take action