PM lashes George Christensen gun Facebook image

Nationals MP George Christensen refuses to apologise for a Facebook post the prime minister has called “very inappropriate”.

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

Nationals MP George Christensen has refused to apologise for a controversial Facebook post the prime minister has called “very inappropriate”.

Mr Christensen says he’s not concerned that Australian Federal Police are investigating a Greens complaint about the Facebook post on Saturday featuring a photo of himself pointing a gun alongside the comment: “You gotta ask yourself, do you feel lucky, greenie punks?”.

He says the post was a joke that had left the Greens “wringing their hands and crying” and he saw no problem with it, but took it down because acting Nationals leader Nigel Scullion asked him to. “I will not be moralised to by the Greens about putting a joke on Facebook,’’ he said this morning.

Nationals MP @GChristensenMP: I do not think putting a joke up on social media is doing anything wrong. I am not going to be moralised by people for putting a joke up on social media.

MORE: https://t.co/Lu2jzotJj4 #SkyLiveNow pic.twitter.com/qfwuyUAlHi

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) February 18, 2018

His comments came as Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said she had referred to police an obscene death threat she claims was inspired by Mr Christensen’s photo.

This morning, the prime minister refused to comment further but said it was clearly very inappropriate. “I think we agree on that and he’s taken it down,” he told 3AW radio.

Saturday’s post drew widespread attention and the Queensland Nationals MP was accused of being insensitive after last week’s high school shooting in the United States. Federal Greens leader Richard Di Natale and an environmental activist referred the photo to the AFP.

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.

.@Greens leader @RichardDiNatale: @GChristensenMP's provocative photo depicting him aiming a gun at his political opponents is sick and disgraceful. This happens off the back of the US massacre.

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— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) February 18, 2018

Senator Hanson-Young said she had today lodged a complaint with the AFP about a threatening message she was sent involving a firearm and vile name calling from a “supporter” of Mr Christensen.

The Greens senator used Twitter to share the threat she says she received on Sunday night.

The subject line read “Bullets” with the sender expressing a hope “that George has one left in the chamber” in order to shoot her.

“It was a threat towards me; it was a pretty sexist one and a threat to shoot me,” Senator Hanson-Young told ABC television.

“George Christensen is the thug here. And he should take responsibility for the actions that he has given license to.” Senator Hanson-Young says the federal government must condemn his actions and the Nationals should sack him.

“Are they really standards that you are willing, as prime minister, to walk by?” she asked of Malcolm Turnbull.

The Facebook post.

“If the leader of the National party, Barnaby Joyce, had any class he would sack him.”

Mr Christensen later amended his post to read “You gotta ask yourself, do you have a sense of humour, greenie punks? Obviously not” before it was deleted.

Activist and Greens senate hopeful Ben Pennings added Mr Christensen’s post to a formal complaint made to police last week over online threats he says he has received in the past few months.

Mr Pennings is campaigning against Adani’s proposed Carmichael coalmine in central Queensland, where Mr Christensen holds the federal seat of Dawson. The federal MP, a vocal supporter of the mine, posted the picture on Saturday, just days after the school shooting in Florida where 17 students and staff were killed.

Queensland Police have analysed the Facebook picture and post and it is understood their advice is no crime has been committed.

Mr Pennings said he added Mr Christensen’s post to his existing complaint to police, saying “threats of physical violence to peaceful protesters are particularly unacceptable”.

“I’ve added Christensen to the list and will report him to the Federal Police also,’’ he said. “We shouldn’t allow bullies to be Federal MPs.”

Mr Pennings, who is running for preselection as a Greens candidates for the Senate, said he had received or been the subject of more than 100 threats in the past two months. They included an alleged text threat to his phone and online references to where he lives and the car he drives.

With AAP