George Christensen: Bipartisan condemnation of rogue MP’s rant

George Christensen claimed masks and lockdowns do not work against Covid-19 and ‘dictatorial medical bureaucrats’ are removing the freedoms of Australians.

George Christensen ranted about anti Covi19 policies prior to Question Time in the House of Representatives. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gary Ramage

Parliament has condemned Nationals MP George Christensen’s claims masks and lockdowns do not work against Covid-19 and “dictatorial medical bureaucrats” are systematically removing the freedoms of Australians.

Scott Morrison and government MPs – including fellow Nationals – voted for a Labor motion on Tuesday attacking a parliamentary speech by Mr Christensen and stating his comments “spread misinformation and undermine the actions of Australians to defeat Covid-19”.

Mr Christensen – who is set to retire from parliament at the next election – has hit the headlines in recent weeks over his support for anti-lockdown protesters and his attacks on medical advisers.

Before question time on Tuesday, Mr Christensen took aim at lockdown measures and said the nation should open up and learn to accept Covid-19 deaths.

“Our posturing politicians, the sensationalist media elite, and the dictatorial medical bureaucrats need to recognise these facts and stop spreading fear,” he said.

“Some people will catch (Covid-19), some people will tragically die from it. It’s inevitable. We need to accept that. What we can’t accept is a systemic removal of our freedoms based on a zero-risk strategy by a bunch of unelected medical bureaucrats.”

Labor’s motion near the end of question time attacking Mr Christensen was allowed to proceed and no government member opposed it in the final vote. Anthony Albanese said Mr Christensen’s calls to open up were “mad­ness”, adding he would not take the government seriously until he was expelled from the Coalition.

“The fact is the member for Dawson has engaged in behaviour over hydroxychloroquine, over unproven and, indeed, dangerous remedies which are completely contradictory to the scientific ­advice and the advice of our health professionals,” the Opposition Leader told question time.

“To refer to our medical heroes as not being heroes … but as dictatorial medical bureaucrats – he needs to recognise these facts and stop spreading fear.”

The Prime Minister said while his government “doesn’t support misinformation in any shape or form”, he would not engage in a partisan debate and did not directly attack Mr Christensen.

“Because what I know is Australians aren’t interested in the politics of Covid, they are not interested in the noise of Covid, they are not interested in the shouting of Covid,” he said.

“We are going to finish this race … but we are going to do it as Team Australia, not in a way which seeks to divide Australians and pit Australians against each other.”

If Mr Christensen were to defect to the crossbench, Mr Morrison would have 75 MPs on the floor of the House of Representatives and be plunged into minority government.

Government sources said Labor’s motion was allowed to proceed so Mr Morrison could make clear his opposition to ­misinformation and remind the Opposition it will hold them to ­account over any anti-vaccine comments which come out of the Labor Party.

Mr Morrison recently called on Mr Albanese to condemn anti-­AstraZeneca comments made by the ALP’s candidate for the eastern Melbourne seat of Higgins, ­infectious diseases specialist ­Michelle Ananda-Rajah.