War of words: MP spills on rocky dealings with former PM
Queensland federal MP George Christensen has slammed former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull’s memoir as being “full of gossip and innuendo” after it revealed details about an AFP probe against him.
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FEDERAL Member for Dawson George Christensen has slammed Malcolm Turnbull's new book as being "full of gossip and innuendo" after it revealed more details about the AFP probe against him.
The maverick MP has also lifted the lid on his tumultuous dealings with the former prime minister, claiming the memoir was "payback" for those Mr Turnbull saw as "thorns in his side".
Mr Christensen said Mr Turnbull continued to bring up the 300 days he spent in Manila between 2014 and 2018 because he "hates my guts".
"I stood up to Malcolm Turnbull way too many times," the Member for Dawson said.
"From his point of view, he's this multimillionaire several times over being forced to back down by someone he would have seen as some low-life from the boondocks in north Queensland," Mr Christensen said of Mr Turnbull.
Asked whether he would read the book, Mr Christensen responded: "Only if I can't find toilet paper on the shelves would I buy Malcolm Turnbull's book."
According to Mr Turnbull's new memoir, A Bigger Picture, the Australian Federal Police warned the then-prime minister that Mr Christensen could be detained in Manila for questioning ahead of his travel on official business to the Philippines.
The Age reported Mr Turnbull revealed in his explosive tell-all book that he was briefed by then AFP commissioner Andrew Colvin in a one-on-one meeting after months of police inquiries.
"Colvin described how Christensen had an unusually complex online presence and had been spending substantial sums in Manila bars and nightclubs as well as making many small payments to women there," the former prime minister wrote.
Federal police looked into Mr Christensen's trips to South-East Asia during 2017 and 2018, but found no evidence of illegality.
Mr Christensen said he was still considering legal action over the book, but said he wasn't worried about any implications on his career.
"People had a view in the electorate of Dawson as to whether they would believe it or not or even if they believed it, whether it mattered or not," he said.
"The result was the result we saw at the last election."
In the book, Mr Turnbull described the Dawson MP's conduct as "especially sickening" due to statements he made suggesting he would pull support from the government at the end of 2017.
He also took issue with Mr Christensen's claim of being a devout Christian, writing "the hypocrisy made me sick."
The Dawson MP said his only mistake was spending too long overseas.
"I have apologised to the people of Dawson for spending too long away, but was I negligent in terms of my electorate? Absolutely not."
Mr Turnbull was contacted for comment.
Originally published as War of words: MP spills on rocky dealings with former PM