Alex Antic a no-show as Liberals back religious bill

SA Senator Alex Antic was nowhere to be seen as his government colleagues met over the controversial legislation.

Rebel South Australian Liberal Senator Alex Antic has snubbed a crucial Coalition party room meeting on its tortured religious discrimination legislation.

Senator Antic was not seen entering a marathon meeting on Tuesday, when Scott Morrison was able to secure colleagues’ support for amendments to protect students from being expelled from school for being gay.

The amendments, which would not extend the same protections to trans students, were aimed at assuaging moderate MPs in supporting the contentious Bill, which the government has hoped would get passed this week.

Senator Alex Antic. Picture: Morgan Sette

The Advertiser reported on Monday Senator Antic (pictured) was expected to join fellow rebel Gerard Rennick in withholding his vote on government business in protest of vaccine mandates.

He arrived in Canberra on Monday night. Neither The Advertiser nor senators the paper spoke to saw him entering the chamber on Tuesday. The Advertiser tried to contact Senator Antic for comment.

In a bid to get support from moderate MPs, the Prime Minister promised to ban schools from expelling students based on their sexuality. MPs who spoke in favour of the Bill in the meeting included Eric Abetz, Kevin Andrews and Julian Leeser. The contentious changes to the Bill were supported in the Coalition party room about 5pm, ahead of a debate in the House of Representatives.

Tasmanian Liberal MP Bridget Archer said she could not vote for the Bill in its current form, which, she argued, overrode anti-discrimination laws in her own state. “I can’t believe we’re even having this conversation,” she said. “The Bill is an overreach.”

In a passionate speech, Ms Archer described the Bill as a licence to degrade or belittle, and said it was not OK to use a religious text to justify cruelty.

North Sydney MP Trent Zimmerman has also reserved his right to vote against the Bill, while several other moderate Liberals have raised concerns and asked for further changes. Attorney-General Michaelia Cash has ruled out the immediate protection of transgender students, insisting on a 12-month review into the impact on religious schools.

Labor is yet to reveal its final position on the legislation, which is designed to prevent a person being discriminated against based on their religion.

Olympian Ian Thorpe travelled to Canberra to urge politicians against backing the Bill. “What this is, is it becomes a state-sanctioned discrimination,” he said. “To give rights for people while excluding another group of people, for me, is discrimination.”