Nationals MP George Christensen blocks release of AFP travel inquiry documents

Nationals MP George Christensen has blocked the release of information about a federal police probe into his frequent travels to the Philippines over a four-year period.

The federal Queensland MP has objected to the release of key documents relating to the year-long police "assessment” of his pattern of travels in south-east Asia.

Nationals MP George Christensen has effectively blocked the release of details surrounding an Australian Federal Police probe into his Philippines travel. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

About 57 folios of information including who referred him to police and when, and also why the assessment ended, were to be released at least in part by the Australian Federal Police.

But an investigation by Nine News, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald has been stymied because "a third party has objected to the disclosure of those documents".

Mr Christensen, who was re-elected in May with an 11.2 per cent swing towards him despite the controversy, has always labelled scrutiny, questions and concerns over his travel as a “vile smear”.

He was dubbed the "Member for Manila" by colleagues after it emerged earlier this year he had taken 28 trips, spending almost 300 days in the Philippines between 2014 and 2018.

Federal police looked into his travel for more than a year including visits to areas known for their active nightlife and bar districts.

For five months, Nine News, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald have been trying, under Freedom of Information laws, to access police records and a letter sent by the AFP to Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton in mid-2018.

Sources familiar with the contents of the letter have said it stated the "assessment" of Mr Christensen's travel had finished.

Former AFP Commissioner Andrew Colvin confirmed in April he had briefed senior Coalition government figures on George Christensen's travel.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

But amid a campaign pushing for greater transparency from government agencies, the AFP has refused to release the letter on the grounds it would "involve the unreasonable disclosure of personal information" and "that the information is not on the public record or available from publicly accessible sources".

The Office of the Information Commissioner is reviewing the AFP decision, but has said it could take another seven months to decide if that letter should be in the public domain, even though Parliament has been advised of its existence by the AFP.

The AFP told the Senate estimates committee earlier this year it began assessing information in early 2017.

Several sources have said when a separate referral was made to police by a Labor MP, who had been approached by an Australian diplomatic official, that Mr Christensen’s travel was already being scrutinised by authorities.

So concerned were AFP officers, former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull received six briefings from then commissioner Andrew Colvin.

The then Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary Martin Parkinson, Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce and Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton were all briefed on the police probe.

Ultimately, it concluded no crime had been committed under Australian law.

Mr Christensen was also advised by the AFP in mid-2018 his travel could put him at risk of blackmail.

Nationals MP George Christensen married April Asuncion in October.Credit: ninevms

In April, Mr Colvin told an estimates hearing inquiries had found "no evidence of wrongdoing" and "no evidence of criminal behaviour".

"So I want to be very careful and show the same respect I would show to any member of the public who has been found to have done nothing wrong,” he said.

A letter sent by the AFP to Mr Christensen’s lawyers late last year said at no time was Mr Christensen formally interviewed in relation to "child abuse material, unlawful videos, child abuse allegations or any other criminal matter”.

Mr Christensen says he met his now wife April Asuncion while in the Philippines in early 2017.

They were engaged in mid-2018 after the police probe ended, and they wed in October.

The MP and his office have ignored questions and repeated attempts for comment for a week, including a letter handed in person to his office at Parliament House.