George Christensen’s Facebook gun photo slammed by Malcolm Turnbull, Pauline Hanson, Derryn Hinch

GEORGE Christensen has refused to apologise for a ‘flippant’ Facebook post that shows him holding a handgun despite criticism from Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

GEORGE Christensen has refused to apologise for a “flippant” Facebook post showing himself holding a handgun despite criticism from Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

The outspoken National MP, who is under fire for posting the image on Saturday after last week’s deadly high school shooting in the United States, said he did not believe he had done anything wrong.

The post, captioned “You gotta ask yourself, do you feel lucky, greenie punks?”, has now been referred to the Australian Federal Police by Greens leader Richard Di Natale and an environmental activist.

“Putting a joke up on social media, if that’s doing something wrong, then there’s a lot of people that are going to be in trouble because it happens every day, every hour in this country,” Mr Christensen told reporters in Queensland today.

Asked about the post’s timing, which came days after the shooting at a Florida high school where 17 people were killed, he said: “I don’t know what that has to do with the situation here in Australia.”

Photo from George Christensen MP's Facebook page of him shooting a handgun.

“I’m not going to be moralised at by these extreme greens for a joke that I put up on social media when these people, these extreme greens, are engaging in illegal actvisim on mine sites, putting not only themselves at risk [but] putting the safety, wellbeing and lives of workers at risk at places like Abbot Point,” Mr Christensen said.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Turnbull refused to comment on the Facebook post beyond saying it was “very inappropriate”.

“I think we agree on that and he’s taken it down,” he told 3AW radio.

Mr Christensen, who has been openly critical of Liberal MPs amid tensions over the Barnaby Joyce affair, specified today that he only took the post down after senior National senator Nigel Scullion asked him too.

Senator Scullion is acting Nationals leader while Mr Joyce is on leave and Deputy Nationals leader Bridget McKenzie is overseas.

Malcolm Turnbull has weighed in on the controversial photos of George Christensen. Picture: Supplied

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and independent senator Derryn Hinch have also slammed the post.

“For him to do that stuff with a gun yesterday when kids are being buried in Florida, it is sick,” Senator Hinch told Channel Seven’s Sunrise program today.

“I think the man should apologise on his knees,” he said.

“This is the most disgusting thing I have seen since I’ve been in Canberra.”

Senator Hanson also said she had heard the image was “wrong” and “distasteful”.

Senator Di Natale said Mr Christensen was giving licence to people to behave in a violent way towards others with a different view.

“It’s disgraceful, irresponsible, it’s shameful,” he told ABC radio.

Anti-Adani protester Ben Pennings confirmed on Sunday he had added Mr Christensen’s post to a complaint he filed on Thursday with Queensland police after receiving more than 100 death threats online.

Derryn Hinch was not a fan of the Facebook post either. Picture: Alex Coppel.

“George Christensen is an appalling example to his constituents and should be ashamed of himself,” Mr Pennings said.

“When tensions are high, threats of physical violence to peaceful protesters are particularly unacceptable.” Mr Christensen later amended his post to read “You gotta ask yourself, do you have a sense of humour, greenie punks? Obviously not”.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson says the images were wrong. Picture: AAP

Queensland police said on Sunday night no offence had been committed. Liberal MP Ian Goodenough, a member of the parliamentary friends of shooting group, said it appeared Mr Christensen was making a lighthearted reference to the Clint Eastwood movie ‘Dirty Harry’.

“In this case I do not believe that George is making an actual threat against any particular person,” he said.

But Mr Goodenough conceded it was an off-colour attempt at humour. Labor called on Mr Christensen to apologise.

Originally published as George Christensen’s Facebook gun photo slammed by Malcolm Turnbull, Pauline Hanson, Derryn Hinch