Alex Antic elected South Australian Liberal Party president

Liberal senator Alex Antic has defeated South Australian Upper House leader Nicola Centofanti in a ballot of party delegates. Antic has pledged to give Liberal members a greater say in policy, and will oversee campaign preparations and meeting agendas as state president.

Liberal senator Alex Antic has been elected president of the South Australian Liberal Party, defeating state Upper House leader Nicola Centofanti in a ballot of party delegates on Saturday morning, according to ABC News.

Antic is a right-wing backbencher who has praised members of One Nation and repeatedly crossed the floor against the Coalition. His election gives him an internal leadership role within the state party organisation.

Before the ballot, Antic had vowed to give Liberal members a “genuine say in the policy direction” of the party. ABC News reported that the presidency is an internal position, broadly comparable to the chair of a company board.

The state president oversees preparations for election campaigns and sets agendas for party meetings. The position also carries a place on the federal Liberal Party’s executive, alongside Opposition Leader Angus Taylor and federal Liberal president Tony Abbott, according to ABC News.