George Christensen, LNP dodge queries over $100,000
Queensland’s Liberal National Party is refusing to comment on whether it will disendorse George Christensen so he can collect a taxpayer-funded payout.
Queensland’s Liberal National Party is refusing to comment on whether it will bow to retiring federal MP George Christensen’s demands and disendorse him so he can collect a $100,000-plus taxpayer funded payout.
Mr Christensen and acting LNP president Cynthia Hardy both issued near-matching statements on Tuesday saying they would not respond to questions about the move because it related to “internal party matters’’.
LNP insiders said Mr Christensen “hit the f...king roof” over revelations in The Australian on Tuesday that the four-term Nationals MP for the north Queensland seat of Dawson was seeking the payout.
On April 21, the Nationals MP announced he would not stand at the next election.
Mr Christensen had previously nominated for preselection and been approved by the LNP’s candidate vetting committee.
But since announcing his resignation, he has not withdrawn his nomination and his local branch — the Federal Divisional Council for Dawson — last week demanded LNP headquarters overturn its approval and disendorse him.
Several senior LNP insiders said the request was made at the behest of Mr Christensen to enable him to qualify for a parliamentary allowance for MPs who “retire involuntarily”.
The normally outspoken MP has repeatedly refused to answer questions about the move.
His spokeswoman sent a text on Tuesday saying: “Just letting you know that George will not be commenting on internal LNP matters.”
Ms Hardy briefly raised the issue at a state executive meeting on Friday before cutting short discussion in the face of opposition to the MP being disendorsed so he can claim the parliamentary allowance.
Sources said Ms Hardy had initially indicated she intended to refuse the request.
But she has also refused to publicly respond to questions about Mr Christensen for several days.
On Tuesday night, an LNP spokesman issued a statement on her behalf: ““I won’t be making any public comments on internal party matters.”
A senior LNP insider said Ms Hardy and Coalition MPs were increasingly concerned about Mr Christensen.
“There are fears about what he might do in the next few weeks in parliament if he doesn’t get his way,’’ a LNP insider said.
“They were working on a closed door solution but the cat is out of the bag and it will make it tougher.
“His leverage is that it is a minority government…not exactly the behaviour of the Christian that he says he is.’’
Mr Christensen was once dubbed the “Member for Manila” after taking at least 28 trips to the Philippines between 2014 and 2018.
If he is disendorsed by the party, he could be eligible for a taxpayer-funded payment of $105,600, or six-months’ salary, as a “resettlement allowance”.
Under parliament rules, a politician who “retires involuntarily” from parliament — including through loss of party endorsement or for reasons other than misconduct — may be eligible for the one-off handout.
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