MP Craig Kelly (Image: AAP/Lukas Coch)

Having been banned and suspended from major social networks, federal MP Craig Kelly has turned to one of the few platforms he has left to share anti-vaccine rhetoric: the Australian Parliament House email lists.

On Thursday afternoon, the former Liberal-turned-independent member for Hughes sent an email to all federal MPs and senators with the subject “FW: Urgent see attached”.

Starting by greeting his “Dear Parliamentary College” (sic), Kelly shares snippets of information released by the US Center for Disease Control showing similarities in the Delta strain’s infection rates and viral load comparisons between vaccinated and unvaccinated Americans.

The implication is that this shows vaccines aren’t effective. While it’s true that vaccinated Americans are contracting the Delta variant, vaccination still remains an incredibly potent weapon at stopping serious illness and hospitalisation.

Kelly, who has been been banned from Facebook for being a major source of COVID-19 misinformation and has recently served a suspension on Twitter, asks that his parliamentary colleagues consider the evidence.

Not long afterwards, Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson sent a reply-all email pointing out that vaccines are stopping people from getting gravely ill.

“Do you accept this M8?” Whish-Wilson asked, signing off “Senator Whishy”.

In response, Kelly claims the jury is still out while referring to “the most recent data from Israel and Iceland”. While Israel and Iceland are both enduring a new wave of COVID cases, vaccination continues to reduce its severity.

Then, without any prompting, Queensland Liberal National Party MP Andrew Laming replied to all federal politicians saying that “nothing prevents the clinician use of ivermectin off label”, referring to the unauthorised use of an anti-parasitic drug that hasn’t been proved to cure COVID. He added that new data about the Delta variant doesn’t change the need for vaccines and lockdowns, signing off “Lammo”.

Kelly’s and Laming’s different responses show the cracks appearing in the Australian conservative movement as the governing Coalition has to grapple with discontent from its base, many of whom are sceptical or outright opposed to government public health restrictions.

With Kelly standing as an independent and Laming hinting at an intention to stand for reelection despite not being preselected by the party, both men’s responses show their sympathy towards a populist, anti-lockdown stance for the next election.