PM facing final sitting fortnight without a majority as another govt Senator threatens vote over vaccine mandates

Scott Morrison is heading into the final weeks of parliament without a majority in the Senate over vaccine mandates.

The government is facing the final sitting fortnight of the year without a majority in the Senate, after two Liberals indicated they will withhold their vote in protest of vaccine mandates.

South Australian Senator Alex Antic on Friday revealed his intention to go rogue and join colleague Gerard Rennick in abstaining from all government legislation until unvaccinated people are given legal protections.

“This week I have indicated my intention to follow the lead of Senator Gerard Rennick and withhold my vote in the Senate until Australians are given protection from discrimination based upon their vaccine status and personal choice to refuse a vaccine,” he said on his Facebook on Friday.

South Australian Senator Alex Antic has threatened to withhold his vote. Picture: Russell Millard

“Australians deserve the freedom to choose their own medical treatment and way of life.”

The protest is despite the fact the federal government has not mandated vaccination – that responsibility has been left to state governments, who have moved to mandate the jab for frontline workers and certain industries.

Scott Morrison on Thursday said his government would not implement a mandatory vaccine policy.

“That’s not something that we have done. We respect people’s choices,” he told Sunrise.

“We’ll hit 90 per cent first dose this weekend for the whole country. And we got there because we’ve just trusted Australians.”

It comes after One Nation leader Pauline Hanson threatened “mayhem” for the Morrison government unless it took action to rule out vaccine mandates.

Scott Morrison has not indicated the government would introduce a vaccine mandate. Picture: Sarah Matray / NCA NewsWire

Speaking with the Courier Mail, Senator Hanson claimed she wasn’t an anti-vaxxer, but was taking a stand.

“We’re not anti-vaxxers, we’re freedom of choice. Scott Morrison says he believes in freedom of choice, well, he’s a coward,” she said.

“I’m going to cause so much mayhem in that parliament, as Scott Morrison is doing to the Australian people.”

The boycott means the government could be without a majority in the Senate and put Mr Morrison’s legislative agenda for the last sitting fortnight into a tailspin.

Originally published as PM facing final sitting fortnight without a majority as another govt Senator threatens vote over vaccine mandates