Anti-fire ant eradication activist convicted after using legal arguments ‘similar to sovereign citizens’

Legal expert compares Trevor Hold’s failed defence to ‘tried and tested argument’ used by sovereign citizen movement

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The Queensland leader of a group opposing the eradication of fire ants in Australia has been convicted of obstructing government officers, after a magistrate threw out his argument that the commonwealth-funded program is illegal.

Trevor Hold was fined $1,500 but a conviction was not recorded. Hold has described himself as an “ultrapreneur”, a mental health counsellor, an organic cattle farmer and the chief executive officer of the anti-program group the Australian Advocacy Group – and as self-employed.