Alexander Charles Antic (born 17 December 1974) is an Australian politician who has been a
senator
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
for
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
since 2019 representing the
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
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.
Early life
Antic was born in
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
in 1974, the son of Vicki Anderson and Ratomir Antic. In his maiden speech to parliament he stated his belief that he was the first Australian senator of
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
n descent. His father arrived in Australia from
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
in 1957 and eventually became director of thoracic medicine at
Royal Adelaide Hospital
The Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH), colloquially known by its initials or pronounced as "the Rah", is South Australia's largest hospital, owned by the state government as part of Australia's public health care system. The RAH provides tertiary hea ...
.
Antic holds arts and law degrees from the
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide (informally Adelaide University) is a public research university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. The university's main campus is located on N ...
.
[ Before entering politics he was a senior associate with Tindall Gask Bentley lawyers. He served on the ]Adelaide City Council
The City of Adelaide, also known as the Corporation of the City of Adelaide and Adelaide City Council is a local government area in the metropolitan area of greater Adelaide, South Australia and is legally defined as the capital city of Sout ...
from 2014 to 2018, representing the south ward. In this role he publicly argued that local governments must concentrate on the delivery of services, rather than "being used as a vehicle for identity politics." He also used his position on the council to press for the preservation of Australia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove and raising of the Union Flag by Arthur Phillip following days of exploration of Port Ja ...
.
Political views
Antic was elected to the Senate at the 2019 federal election, taking office on 1 July 2019. In the Liberal preselection
Preselection is the process by which a candidate is selected, usually by a political party, to contest an election for political office. It is also referred to as candidate selection. It is a fundamental function of political parties. The presele ...
process he had out-polled sitting senator Lucy Gichuhi
Lucy Muringo Gichuhi (; ; born 23 September 1962) is an Australian politician who served as a Senator for South Australia from 2017 to 2019. Born in Kenya, Gichuhi worked as an accountant before entering politics. Gichuhi is a social conservativ ...
, a fellow member of the party's conservative faction.
In his maiden speech in September 2019 Antic spoke of his support for the development of an Australian nuclear power industry. In November 2019 he opposed moves to decriminalise prostitution in South Australia, stating that sex workers were being exploited and that it was hypocritical to support decriminalisation while opposing the use of grid girls at the Australian Grand Prix
The Australian Grand Prix is an annual motor racing event which is under contract to host Formula One until 2035. One of the oldest surviving motorsport competitions held in Australia, the Grand Prix has moved frequently with 23 different venu ...
and Clipsal 500
The Adelaide 500 (also known as the VALO Adelaide 500 for sponsorship reasons) is an annual motor racing event for Supercars held on the streets of the east end of Adelaide, South Australia between 1999 to 2020 and again from 2022. It is sometim ...
.
In November 2021, Antic was one of five Coalition
A coalition is a group formed when two or more people or groups temporarily work together to achieve a common goal. The term is most frequently used to denote a formation of power in political or economical spaces.
Formation
According to ''A Gui ...
senators who voted in support of One Nation’s COVID‑19 Vaccination Status (Prevention of Discrimination) Bill 2021, against the government's position.
In December 2021, it was alleged that Antic misled Prime Minister Scott Morrison
Scott John Morrison (; born 13 May 1968) is an Australian politician. He served as the 30th prime minister of Australia and as Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia from 2018 to 2022, and is currently the member of parliament (MP) for t ...
about his COVID-19 vaccination
A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID19).
Prior to the COVID19 pandemic, an es ...
status after Morrison claimed Antic had been double-vaccinated during a radio interview. Antic returned to Adelaide from Canberra having obtained a travel exemption for unvaccinated persons – the exemption having only been granted on appeal on the condition he spent 14 days in quarantine at a Medi-hotel – but on arrival he allegedly refused to provide his vaccination status to officials at Adelaide Airport
Adelaide Airport , also known as Adelaide International Airport, is the principal airport of Adelaide, South Australia and the List of the busiest airports in Australia, fifth-busiest airport in Australia, servicing 8.5 million passenger ...
, and then posted a video to social media claiming he had been "detained by overzealous bureaucrats" in what he called a "political stunt".
In a Senate estimates hearing in November 2022, Antic accused the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...
(ABC) of " grooming children with ..adult content" over a '' Play School'' segment that featured drag queen Courtney Act
Shane Gilberto Jenek (born 18 February 1982), better known under the stage name Courtney Act, is an Australian drag queen, singer and television personality. Courtney first came to prominence competing on the Australian Idol (season 1), first s ...
reading a children's book. In response, Act stated that "to use terms of abuse when no abuse is actually happening, really takes away from the occasions when it is happening ..I'm on television, reading a children’s book, there was nothing untoward about it. It was really quite a shocking thing to be accused of".
Factionally, Antic is a ‘broker for the right faction’ within the South Australian Liberals. He has been a guest on far-right programs, including Steve Bannon’s podcast, was set to be the MC for a speaking tour of Donald Trump Junior, and was a guest at a ‘prayer and pushback’ forum with disgraced former Hillsong preacher Pat Mesiti.[ https://www.yasstribune.com.au/story/8259808/trump-jr-cancels-australian-tour-blaming-late-visa/]
References
External links
Alex Antic: Senate Candidate for SA
{{DEFAULTSORT:Antic, Alexander
1974 births
Living people
21st-century Australian politicians
Politicians from Adelaide
Australian people of Serbian descent
Members of the Australian Senate
Members of the Australian Senate for South Australia
Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia
South Australian local councillors
University of Adelaide alumni