Alex Antic’s rise in SA Liberals has coincided with a collapse in the party’s vote. Is there further to fall?

A conservative senator widely dismissed as a liability by his own party has been elected state president in South Australia, signaling a shift toward the party’s right-wing base. The move follows his recruitment of evangelical and Pentecostal Christians into a dedicated political faction, now poised to wield greater influence. Critics had long labeled him a "vote-losing machine," but his rise reflects growing internal divisions over the party’s direction. The appointment raises questions about whether mainstream Liberals will cede further ground to hardline factions.

Election of rightwing senator – once called a ‘vote-losing machine’ – as state president in South Australia takes party further from the centreGet our new political email, free app or daily news podcastRogue Liberal senator Alex Antic says he will give “back some voice” to party members now that he has been elected as state president in South Australia.Many of those members are part of “Alex’s Army”, the evangelical and Pentecostal Christians the federal MP recruited into the operational wing of the party.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s Politics, really newsletter here Continue reading...