A controversial senator is demanding AHPRA unsuspend doctors banned over their stance on COVID-19 vaccination.

In an open letter he wants clinicians to sign, Senator Gerard Rennick claims he was contacted by doctors concerned by the regulator’s “heavy-handed” tactics, including the “gagging of doctors in giving honest advice” about the vaccines.

As a result, the Liberal National Party of Queensland Senator — who denies being an anti-vaxxer despite repeatedly sharing anti-vaccination material and conspiracy theories on social media — issued an online call-out last week for medical practitioners to join the campaign against AHPRA.

The open letter states the watchdog has no legal right to threaten regulatory action against doctors promoting anti-vaccination messages, or who actively seek to undermine the national immunisation campaign, as per its COVID-19 position statement released in March last year.