Health minister Mark Butler slams Senator Alex Antic's bird flu 'conspiracy theory' outburst: 'Remarkable even for him'

By SARAH BROOKES - SENIOR REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 05:33, 26 June 2026 | Updated: 05:53, 26 June 2026 Liberal senator Alex Antic has sparked a furious backlash after claiming bird flu fears are being hyped up by pharmaceutical companies to sell more flu shots. The South Australian senator made the comments after two cases of H5N1 avian flu were detected in migratory seabirds off Western Australia last weekend.  Antic said the timing of the discovery played neatly into the hands of drug companies. '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. '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. '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.' Antic continued on social media, posting: 'Just as the pharmaceutical companies fire up their "Get your flu shot" campaigns, suddenly two birds in Western Australia test positive for avian influenza. What timing! 'The same pattern every year, new scare, same solution, roll up your sleeve and take your shot to protect grandma (or something).' Liberal senator Alex Antic (pictured) has sparked a furious backlash after claiming bird flu fears are being hyped up by pharmaceutical companies to sell more flu shots Senator Alex Antic has also shared his views on social media to his 187,000 followers Two cases of the deadly H5N1 strain were detected in migratory seabirds off Western Australia last weekend He also took aim at health messaging, adding: 'Also from the "Trust the science" brigade we learn that you should get your human flu shot to prevent a bird flu pandemic (or something).' Health Minister Mark Butler hit back in Parliament, accusing Antic of peddling conspiracy theories. 'Senator Antic...remarkably even for him, described the H5N1 avian flu as "spin from pharmaceutical companies",' he said. 'All another vast conspiracy, managing in one speech not only 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.' South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas also slammed Antic's comments and told ABC Adelaide the senator's remarks were 'serious stuff'.  '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,' he said. '(He is) suggesting...that there is a conspiracy between bird flu detection and people getting vaccinated for the flu.' A previous outbreak of a different strain of bird flu in early 2025 triggered widespread egg shortages, forcing chicken farms to cull birds. Authorities have urged the public not to approach sick or dead wildlife and to report sightings to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline. The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.