Federal government MP George Christensen has announced he won’t contest the next election and will now bow out of politics.
The backbencher, who has often been in the media for his controversial views and statements, said he felt politics was no longer working for conservative voices such as his.
“Our politics just does not seem to be working when it comes to the issues that matter to me, and to many others,” he said via a statement.
“Issues like enshrining religious liberty, protecting the unborn, ensuring freedom of speech, including online free speech.
“Installing cheap coal-fired power so we can support jobs, ensuring we keep Australian land and strategic assets out of the hands of the Chinese Communist Party and preferably in Australian hands, and many other key conservative issues.”
Christensen he was not sure anymore that the issues could be “properly fixed by legislation and via the ballot box.”
The politician won his Queensland seat of Dawson from Labor at the 2010 election and held it with a comfortable margin of more than 10%.
During his time in parliament Christensen was criticised for spending too much time out of the country. He earned the nickname the ‘Member for Manilla’ after it was revealed he made at least 28 trips to The Philippines between 2014 and 2018. While visiting the country he met his now wife April Asuncion.
Declaring his departure from parliament, Christensen that mainstream media and other cultural institutions had a “dominant influence over our politics” and did not represent mainstream Australian values. Christensen he would have a “stronger, more unfiltered voice outside of parliament”.
Christensen recently urged Christian Australians get involved in politics saying if they had enough people join they could hold sway over the major party’s policy making.
During his time in office he fought against programs in schools designed to assist LGBTIQ+ students, and pushed for religious freedom legislation.
LNP colleague Matt Canavan has praised Christensen’s contributions to politics, praising him as one of the most intellectual people in the parliament.
“George’s convictions don’t just come from the heart. He is one of the most well read and intellectual MPs. He is a massive loss to the fabric of the LNP, the Nationals party and to the Parliament.” Senator Canavan said.
Christensen regularly made headlines during his tenure including his support for advertisements that criticised gay parents and their children, his opposition to marriage equality and support for the postal vote process, his opposition to equalising the age of consent for anal sex, and opposition to the Safe Schools program.
In 2015 Christensen highlighted his opposition to same-sex marriage by posting an image of a machine gun with a rainbow magazine, suggesting that if Australians wanted to follow America’s embrace of same-sex marriage, we might also want to adopt their approach reduced gun control.
OIP Staff
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