Ray Hadley, Peter Dutton slam Liberal senator for Covid anti-vax content

A Liberal senator has been blasted by 2GB host Ray Hadley and minister Peter Dutton for “glorifying” anti-vaxxer conspiracy theories.

The federal defence minister has slammed a Liberal colleague for posting anti-vaccination content on social media, warning him of his “responsibility” to share facts.

Queensland LNP senator Gerard Rennick has built a large following on platforms like Facebook for his stance against vaccination mandates - a move which spilt into parliament this week when he and four other Coalition members crossed the floor to back One Nation leader Pauline Hanson’s bill on the matter.

Mr Rennick, who declared he would withhold his vote from government legislation unless federal parliament overruled and scrapped vaccination mandates put in place by the states, came under fire on Sky News recently when he admitted he had shared information online to his army of followers which hadn’t been fact-checked.

Senator Gerard Rennick. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Federal Defence Minister Peter Dutton. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Quizzed by host Tom Connell on why he had shared a post by a retired GP linking Covid vaccines to stillbirths and calling for New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to be executed, Mr Rennick said: “That was a mistake … I didn‘t realise the background of the doctor, I relied on some information that obviously wasn’t true.”

Appearing on morning radio on Thursday, Defence Minister Peter Dutton scolded Mr Rennick for “glorifying” vaccine misinformation as a member of government.

“He shouldn’t do it, he’s taken (the post) down as he should have but it shouldn’t have gone up in the first place,” Mr Dutton told 2GB’s Ray Hadley.

“There’s a lot of misinformation going around, scare tactics … there’s a special responsibility on members of parliament, including Gerard and myself, you need to be careful and you need to dismiss (the misinformation).”

2GB radio host Ray Hadley. Picture: Renee Nowytarger

Mr Dutton added that Mr Rennick‘s behaviour online was at odds with Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s expected standards, after MP Craig Kelly was ousted from the LNP for posting vaccine misinformation earlier this year.

“The prime minister has been very clear about it, that it’s not acceptable,” Mr Dutton said.

“Gerard has regretted having posted it, and I hope it’s not repeated.”

He added: “Those conspiracy theories and other things that spin around the internet shouldn’t be glorified, they shouldn’t be promoted and they shouldn’t be posted.”

2GB host Hadley also weighed in, calling Mr Rennick a “complete and utter dickhead” and a “lunatic” for sharing vaccine misinformation.

“He’s a bloke, a senator for the federal parliament representing the state of Queensland, who posts support to these anti-vaxxers,” Hadley said on air.

“Someone living in a treehouse in Nimbin might be able to say what they want on social media, but not a senator of a conservative government, giving support to this lunacy.”