A fierce slanging match has erupted between LNP Senator Gerard Rennick and Australia’s climate change and energy minister Chris Bowen, with Mr Rennick saying Mr Bowen’s description of him as a ‘conspiracy theorist’ and a ‘cooker’ are ‘slurs’.
The feud started when Mr Bowen took the opportunity to lay into Senator Rennick while answering questions from the media at the National Press Club in Canberra last Wednesday.
Mr Bowen claimed he and other advocates in the climate change arena were frequently accused of perpetuating a ‘hoax’, singling out Senator Rennick’s social media in this regard.
‘Senator Rennick’s Twitter feed is a cacophony of conspiracy theories and attacks on people’s motives including our intelligence agencies, our health bureaucrats, our climate bureaucrats, the Bureau of Meteorology,’ Mr Bowen said.
‘And it’s not OK, someone’s got to call it out, I’m calling it out, I welcome Mr Dutton calling it out.
‘It’s not OK to question the patriotism or the efficacy of our intelligence agencies.
‘He’s saying Covid was a conspiracy by our intelligence agencies. A serving senator of the alternative government, really?’
Senator Rennick fired back on Friday with a letter addressed to Mr Bowen.
The letter sent by Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen to Senator Gerard Rennick as part of a slanging match that has erupted between the pair
‘In your speech, you allege that it’s not OK to question the efficacy or the motives of our government agencies,’ Mr Rennick wrote.
‘Are you suggesting that government agencies not be scrutinised?’
Senator Rennick argued it was his ‘duty to scrutinise the performance of all government agencies’.
‘If you wish to debate why my posts are conspiracy theories, then please name a time and place to debate your allegations with myself,’ he wrote.
In reply on Tuesday, Mr Bowen doubled down on his assertion that Senator Rennick’s X feed was a ‘cacophony of conspiracy theories’.
‘Debate is fine. Spreading discredited conspiracies is not,’ Mr Bowen stated.
‘Your attack on the motives and professionalism of agencies such as the Bureau of Meteorology, the Therapeutic Goods Administration and Australia’s intelligence agencies (who you mused may have been involved in the outbreak of Covid) are unconscionable.
‘Government agencies should absolutely be scrutinised. But not by cookers and conspiracy theorists spreading disinformation for their selfish political purposes.
‘Your behaviour has been endorsed by Peter Dutton. It won’t be endorsed by me. Nor will I be giving you even more of a platform to spread your dangerous conspiracy theories.’
Mr Bowen accused Senator Rennick of hosting a ‘cacophony of conspiracy theories’ on social media
Posting on X, Senator Rennick accused Mr Bowen of lacking the ‘courage’ to debate his claims.
‘This is the typical behaviour of a coward who can talk a big game behind someone’s back but not to their face,’ Senator Rennick wrote.
‘He again fails to back up his claims with any specific facts. This is the typical behavior of an intellectual pygmy who loves to cast slurs but is incapable arguing a point in a rational manner.
‘These slurs against his fellow Australians indicates an arrogance and lack of respect from Chris Bowen that we’ve become used to.’
Former LNP Queensland premier and now Libertarian candidate Cambell Newman came out in support of Senator Rennick.
‘The idea that you don’t have the courage to debate him @bowenchris is the most objectionable part of your letter,” Mr Newman wrote on X.
‘(The name calling and personal denigration is par for the course).
Queensland senator Gerard Rennick (pictured with his wife Lauren) has accused Mr Bowen of being cowardly in not debating him
‘What you are doing to the energy supply of this country is dangerous and reckless and the fact that you won’t engage with Rennick or indeed any critic is what’s unconscionable.’
Senator Rennick also received support from former NBA basketball star Andrew Bogut
‘Wow, a politician representing the people, calling people a ”cooker”,’ Bogut tweeted.
‘Our Politicians are some of the worst in the world.’
Mr Bowen and Senator Rennick have been contacted for comment.