'Member for Manila': MP puts overseas travel before key campaign slogan

Queensland Nationals MP George Christensen missed a substantial chunk of his parliamentary work on his heartland issue of developing northern Australia because he was visiting the Philippines.

Mr Christensen skipped nearly a third of the public hearings for the 2014 parliamentary inquiry into boosting economic and infrastructure development in the Top End while making some of his numerous visits to the south-east Asian nation.

George Christensen missed a substantial chunk of his parliamentary work on developing northern Australia because he was visiting the Philippines.Credit: Andrew Meares

He has reportedly been dubbed the "member for Manila" by colleagues, and was blasted by the opposition during campaigning on Wednesday for putting his overseas trips ahead of his electorate.

Mr Christensen, who has a Filipina fiancee, spent nearly 300 days over a four-year period in the Philippines. While they were private trips that he largely paid for himself, he billed taxpayers more than $3000 for connecting flights.

A crosscheck of his travel dates with committee work reveal his trips meant he missed eight public hearings – six of which were in Queensland – out of a total of 27 held by the Northern Australia committee, which was set up to look at how to develop the Top End.

One of Mr Christensen's political campaign slogans has been "Standing up for the North". He holds the seat of Dawson, which is based in the town of Mackay and stretches up to the southern edge of Townsville, by a slender 3.4 per cent. He is seen as vulnerable in the May 18 election.

George Christensen announced his engagement to April Asuncion in August last year.Credit: ninevms

Mr Christensen referred his travel expense claims to the parliamentary expenses watchdog on Wednesday after News Corp reported that he claimed $3069.45 on five domestic flights that connected with his Philippines trips.

Despite maintaining he was "absolutely confident that the travel was undertaken within the rules", Mr Christensen said that to remove any doubt, he was referring the expense claims to the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority.

The committee hearings Mr Christensen missed throughout Queensland, were in Cairns, Thursday Island, Georgetown, Weipa and Normanton, and Broome and Kununurra in Western Australia.

Asked about Mr Christensen's claims for flights, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said: "It'll be assessed and then I have no doubt George will abide by the ruling that is handed down".

Asked whether voters in Dawson would know the outcome before election day, Mr Morrison said the watchdog was an independent agency but "I would assume they'd do their job diligently, professionally and promptly".

News Corp has reported that Mr Christensen made 28 trips, totalling 294 days or 42 weeks, between April 2014 and June last year to the Philippines. In 2016 and 2017, he spent more days in the Philippines than in Parliament.

Mr Christensen's office did not respond to requests for comment before deadline.

He announced his engagement to April Asuncion in August last year.

The AFP inquired into Mr Christensen's travel but found no evidence of wrongdoing.

Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen said Mr Christensen couldn't effectively represent the people of Dawson if he spent that much time abroad.

"Nobody begrudges somebody taking some time off," Mr Bowen said.

"This is beyond the pale. He is not the member for Dawson, he is the member for Manila South ... He wasn't representing his constituents."