Liberal senator Alex Antic has been roundly condemned for spreading “dangerous ideas about vaccination”, after suggesting the arrival of bird flu was a way for pharmaceutical companies to sell products.
After two cases of the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain were detected in migratory seabirds along the Western Australian coast over the weekend, the South Australian senator said the pharmaceutical industry was “always finding innovative ways to sell us their products”.
“These birds are almost like the bell ringing on the pharmaceutical companies saying ‘we’re entering the winter season, we’re about to lean on you to get your flu shot guilt trip, and now we’ve found two birds with the sniffles’,” he said in the Senate on Tuesday.
“These companies have made some of the best public relations steps you’d ever see — protect yourself, protect grandma, protect the vulnerable and now we’ve got avian influenza doing the heavy lifting.
“Same pattern year after year: new variant, new scare, and so when Australians are home, wondering whether they should book their annual flu jab or just sit in front of the TV with chicken soup, they are getting this innovative spin from pharmaceutical companies.”
A third confirmed case of bird flu was found in a migratory bird off the South Australian coast on Wednesday.
The comments have been seized upon by federal and South Australian Labor MPs, who have accused Mr Antic of making “reckless and irresponsible” comments about vaccination while challenging the Liberal Party to denounce him.
Mark Butler says Senator Antic’s comments spread dangerous ideas. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)
Health Minister Mark Butler took aim at Mr Antic in parliament on Thursday.
“Senator Antic … remarkably even for him, described the H5N1 Avian flu as ‘spin from pharmaceutical companies’, all designed, in his view, to push people into getting a flu shot this winter,” he said.
“All another vast conspiracy, managing in one speech … not only just to spread dangerous ideas about vaccination but also to minimise and even mock this variant of Avian flu and the risk we know it poses to some incredibly important industries in this country.”
SA Liberal leader Ashton Hurn says she does not support the comments. (ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)
South Australian Liberal leader Ashton Hurn distanced herself from the comments on Thursday, saying: “I don’t support them in any way, shape or form”.
“This is a very serious matter, and you only need to look internationally to see how devastating it is,” Ms Hurn said.
She also highlighted her party’s regular calls for the government to provide free flu vaccinations during winter.
Senator Antic, from the right of the Liberal Party, has flagged he will stand for South Australian Liberal president at the party’s annual general meeting in August.
So far, no rival candidates have publicly put their names forward. The role is currently held by Senator Leah Blyth, also from the right.
SA Premier Peter Malinauskas spoke out against the comments. (ABC News: Daniel Taylor)
“This is someone who is a purported future president of the Liberal Party … I’m not talking about some crazy far-right extremist political outfit,” Premier Peter Malinauskas told 891 ABC Adelaide.
“[He is] suggesting, as far as I can tell, that there is a conspiracy between bird flu detection and people getting vaccinated for the flu.
“This is serious stuff.”
SA chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier on Thursday encouraged the community to get vaccinated.
“We know that the vaccines are safe and are so much better at preventing those infectious diseases,” Professor Spurrier said.
“We can’t have a vaccination rate that drop so low that everybody is put at risk from these infectious diseases.”
Contacted for comment by the ABC, Senator Antic said: “I am not interested in the ABC’s views regarding health, politics, sport, movies, restaurant recommendations, music, bird flu or any other topic.”
Liberal Party leader Angus Taylor has been contacted for comment.
