‘Irresponsible’: Watt’s anger over Covid claims by Senator Rennick

LABOR’S Murray Watt is accusing fellow Queensland senator Gerard Rennick of “putting lives at risk” by spreading “misinformation” about Covid vaccines, claims he strongly denies.

Gold Coast-based Senator Watt said Prime Minister Scott Morrison should consider disendorsing Senator Rennick who he accused of “undermining” the government’s pro-vaccination message.

But Mr Rennick, highlighting what he feels is a lack of help for those claiming vaccine side effects, says he’s no antivaxxer, is “pro-choice” and not worried by the accusations.

Mr Watt: “If the government on the one hand saysNovak Djokovic is a threat to civil order, through ventilating anti-vax sentiment, why do they continue allowing their own members to do so,” Mr Murray said. “It completely goes against every publicly-funded information campaign the government has run about encouraging people to get vaccinated.”

Senator Rennick has recently gained 100,000 followers on social media with posts questioning the safety of vaccination, accusing governments of “tyranny” and pharmaceutical companies of alleged “fraudulent behaviour”. He also accused Mr Morrison of “a complete lack of respect for parental rights” by encouraging parents to get kids jabbed.

Senator Murray said the language used was troubling.

“Senator Rennick’s behaviour is irresponsible,” he said, claiming: “It generates anger and division in our community and it’s putting lives at risk by spreading misinformation and encouraging the kind of (unrest) we’ve seen take place.”

Senator Rennick said he was not an “anti-vaxxer”, not worried about being thrown out of the Liberal Party and accused Mr Murray of “throwing s---”.

“I’m not promoting antivaxxer sentiment, I’m pro safety, pro quality assurance and pro choice,” Senator Rennick said. “To just call me an antivaxxer is complete and utter rubbish.”

Asked whether he believed the Federal Government of which he was a part was “tyrannical”, Senator Rennick said it should not have approved Covid-19 vaccines for children.

“I didn’t say it quite like that but ultimately they should not have approved that vaccine for children because proper tests were not done,” he claimed.

Mr Morrison on Tuesday publicly admonished Queensland MP George Christensen for spreading “dangerous” vaccine misinformation.