ABC News (AU)
· collected 2026-09-19 · by Leah MacLennan, Kathryn Bermingham, and Thomas Kelsall
One Nation has celebrated Alex Antic's election as president of the South Australian Liberal party at the party’s annual general meeting on Saturday. The move was opposed by some within the Liberal party due to concerns about his voting record and close ties with One Nation, despite support from others like former Senator Cory Bernardi. Antic won over Nicola Centofanti in the contest, prompting mixed reactions among Liberals regarding his direction for the party.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-19,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Alex Antic, a right-wing Liberal senator from South Australia, won the presidency of the South Australian Liberal Party after defeating candidate Nicola Centofanti in an internal ballot among roughly 200 State Council delegates. The election took place on a Saturday morning during the party's annual general meeting. While the margin of victory was not immediately announced, it marked a significant shift towards Antic’s conservative stance within the party. Critics, including some moderates and conservatives, had opposed his nomination due to his history of crossing the floor against coalition votes and his close ties with One Nation. Despite these concerns, Antic's support among local branches secured him the position. As the new president, he will convene the state executive shortly and take on responsibilities similar to a company board chair overseeing campaign preparations and setting meeting agendas. His victory has been viewed as a "win" by One Nation, suggesting a potential move towards more conservative policies within the Liberal party in South Australia.
Written for “Senator Alex Antic Wins Presidency” on 2026-10-04,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
In short:
One Nation has welcomed Senator Alex Antic's election as president of the South Australian Liberal party.
asserted
Nation → welcome → party
Senator Antic was elected at the party's AGM on Saturday, in a contest against SA upper house MP Nicola Centofanti.
asserted
Antic → elect → Centofanti
His nomination was opposed by moderates and some conservatives in the party, with concerns about his record of voting against his own party, and his close relationship with One Nation.
One Nation has described Senator Alex Antic's election as state president of the Liberal party as a "win" for South Australia.
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Nation → oppose → Australia
In a statement that did little to dispel concerns about the Liberal Senator's close ties to One Nation, SA Leader Cory Bernardi said he was looking forward to "continuing a constructive relationship with the Senator".
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he → do → Senator
"As we saw at the election in March, many who used to support the Liberals have given their support to One Nation because the Liberals no longer represent the conservative values which matter to them," Mr Bernardi said.
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Bernardi → see → them
"Senator Antic's win represents an opportunity to turn the South Australian Liberals back to the right path."
Senator Antic was elected state president at the party's annual general meeting on Saturday, in a contest against SA upper house MP Nicola Centofanti.
His nomination was opposed by moderates and some conservatives in the party, with concerns about his record of voting against his own party, and his close relationship with One Nation.
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nomination → represent → Nation
Emerging from the AGM, many senior Liberals publicly backed Senator Antic's election, but former Howard government parliamentary secretary Trish Worth said he didn't have her support.
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he → emerge → support
"I just believe we should always be selecting the people with the most experience and loyalty in the Liberal Party and I've been on state executive and federal executive twice, I've been in the parliament and you need serious team work," she said.
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she → believe → work
Ms Worth, a delegate on the state council, raised concerns about some of his policy positions, including a recent push to re-open a loophole in the "No Jab, No Pay" policy introduced by the Turnbull government in 2015.
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Worth → raise → 2015
"To be anti-vaccination is a very serious thing because you're not only endangering your own health, but you're endangering those around you," she said.
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she → endanger → you
Shadow health minister Anne Ruston said it couldn't "necessarily" be said that Senator Antic was taking the party in a concerning direction.
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Antic → say → direction
"I don't think you can necessarily say that.
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you → think → that
I mean Alex and I are both in the Liberal Party and we both want the Liberal Party to succeed but he's got a big job ahead of him over the next 12 months," she said.
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she → mean → months
"The role he's chosen to do today is administrative and so he needs to focus on doing that as well as focus on his role as a senator representing South Australians in Canberra.
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he → choose → Canberra
"They're two enormous jobs, they're two full time jobs and I just wish him all the best."
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I → wish → best
Senator Antic left the meeting on Saturday without speaking to gathered media, but has previously denied he wants a merger between the SA Liberal Party and One Nation.
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he → leave → Party
"That has been made up.
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That → make → ?
That is just outright not right," he told the 2 Worlds Collide Podcast.
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he → tell → Podcast
"Even strong right-leaning Liberals would have a problem with that," Senator Antic said, adding that there would also be financial complications.
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Antic → lean → that
His new position could be seen to be something of a threat to moderate parliamentary party leader Ashton Hurn.
uncertain
position → see → Hurn
But former federal Liberal Leader Alexander Downer hosed down those concerns.
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Downer → hose → concerns
"It would have no impact.
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It → have → impact
It's not an issue that bears any relationship to the parliamentary party.
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that → bear → party
The state president and the state executive are responsible for the administration of the party organisation and they have responsibility for fundraising," he said.
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he → have → fundraising
"It's not a policy role and it's important to understand this.
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it → understand → this
The state executive, like the federal executive in the Liberal Party doesn't make policy.
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executive → make → policy
The parliamentary party makes policy.
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party → make → policy
"
That's despite an email from Senator Antic to delegates who vote on leadership positions, which said he wanted to "restore policy authority to members".
"I will move to ensure our members have a genuine say in the policy direction of this party," he wrote.
asserted
he → vote → party
The Aporia
