Antic told InDaily that he was not interested in being interviewed about the future direction of the party after his factional success at the weekend’s annual general meeting elections, apparently objecting to previous reports of the concerns of Liberal moderates.

“The relentless charade involving left-wing members of the Liberal Party feeding InDaily stories which suit their factional purposes so as to allow it to prosecute those grievances in front of a tiny audience of political staffers and left-wing public servants is boring,” he said.

“I have no interest in participating in InDaily’s latest hack piece.”

Antic has a history of refusing to talk to InDaily, previously describing this publication as “fake news” in response to questions.

He has also criticised other publications, including The Advertiser.

InDaily reported moderate faction concerns in the lead-up to the AGM that the conservative push to take control of the party could make the Liberals “unelectable”.

While he wouldn’t answer InDaily’s questions, Antic did speak with Sky News commentator and former SA Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi about the weekend’s results that saw all four candidates backed by Antic and right-faction federal MP Tony Pasin secure vice president spots.

Antic welcomed the result, telling Bernardi that in the last 10 years or so “we were seeing the influence, I think, of the presence of parliamentary staffers on our state council which I don’t think is a healthy thing”.

Conservative-backed Glenn Docherty – who is the Playford Council Mayor and works as a casual electorate officer for Antic, according to the council register – was voted into one of four vice president positions at the party’s AGM.

Docherty did not respond to questions about his new role, saying he was busy.

Lachlan Haynes, who works part time as an electorate officer for Tony Pasin, also won a vice president spot, along with conservative faction-backed Thea Hennessey and Bridie Ward.

Ward is also on the Liberal Women’s Council executive that is led by the party’s right faction and recently courted controversy when it invited exiled Victorian Liberal MP Moira Deeming as a guest speaker to its AGM.

Antic told Sky News that he has been involved in a recruitment campaign for the SA Liberal Party that stemmed from wanting to “show everyday people, everyday conservatives, the quiet Australians, how they can magnify their voice in politics which I say is by joining us in the Liberal Party”.

“What I think has happened in the Liberal Party is a little bit of a renaissance in conservative values I think and pushing the Liberal Party back to where it should be, back to where it was many, many years ago,” he said.

“In fact, what really has happened is the encouragement of people who have perhaps been frustrated or have joined minor conservative parties to come back.”

Conservative Rowan Mumford was voted in unopposed as Liberal Party president on the weekend.

“I congratulate Lachlan Haynes, Thea Hennessey, Bridie Ward and Glenn Docherty on being elected as vice presidents,” Mumford said.

“The meeting marked a major milestone for the Liberal Party, with more than 50 per cent of the party’s elected positions to State Executive now held by strong female leaders.

“Women now lead our three council bodies in addition to our two new female vice presidents and state director (Alex May).”

The four vice president positions were previously held by two members of the right faction, Berri Barmera Mayor Ella Winnall and Naracoorte-based Lachlan Haynes who works for Tony Pasin, and moderates, lawyer Alex Rice and Leah Grantham.

Grantham is Babcock Australia and New Zealand’s head of stakeholder engagement and reputation.