George Christensen (politician)
Encyclopedia
George Robert Christensen (born 30 June 1978), an Australian federal politician, is a member of the Australian House of Representatives
representing the seat of Dawson
in Queensland for the Liberal National Party of Queensland, elected at the 2010 federal election. He will sit with the National Party
in Parliament.
, the third generation of cane farmers who originally emigrated from Denmark in 1901. With both parents being disability pensioners during his childhood, he developed a strong sense of social justice. Christensen was schooled in Andergrove, Walkerston
and at Mackay State High before completing an undergraduate degree in journalism. He gained practical experience at the community newspaper, The Pioneer News before founding a successful publishing business producing two other community newspapers: Walkerston & Valley Advertiser and Northern Beaches Advertiser.
In 2004, Christensen was elected to Mackay City Council and in 2008, gained a seat on the amalgamated Mackay Regional Council
, where he is still a councillor. He has extensive community involvement and is currently a director of the Mackay Regional Housing Company and Vice-President of Mackay Regional Council for Social Development. He was the foundation chair of Walkerston Community Kindergarten Association and former chair of HACC Transport Mackay Inc.
, announced that he would retire for health reasons, after only one term. Based on Australian Electoral Commission results as at close of the tally room count on 21 August 2010, Christensen was leading the two-party preferred vote
by 2.04%.1
Christensen gained national media attention during the 2010 federal election campaign as attention was drawn to articles published by Christensen in the 1990s in The Student Advocate, a conservative university newsletter. The newsletter articles contained slurs against Jews, gays and women, and although Christensen claimed that the articles had been taken out of context he said he was sorry for publishing the comments.
After the election it was revealed that Christensen failed to resign from his position on the Mackay Regional Council
before the election, putting himself at risk of high court action which would not allow him to take office as the member for Dawson. Previously, independent Phil Cleary
and Liberal Jackie Kelly
have been faced with a by-election after failing to resign from public service positions before winning their respective seats.
Christensen reportedly stunned parliament when it was revealed on 22 June 2011, he attacked Labor for shutting down the live cattle trade to Indonesia but for not blaming "the religion that actually inspires the torture of the cattle there". Indonesia is an Islamic country.
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
representing the seat of Dawson
Division of Dawson
The Division of Dawson is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The division was created in 1949 and is named for Anderson Dawson, the first Labor Premier of Queensland and leader of the first parliamentary socialist government anywhere in the world...
in Queensland for the Liberal National Party of Queensland, elected at the 2010 federal election. He will sit with the National Party
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
in Parliament.
Early years and background
Christensen was born in MackayMackay, Queensland
Mackay is a city on the eastern coast of Queensland, Australia, about north of Brisbane, on the Pioneer River. Mackay is nicknamed the sugar capital of Australia because its region produces more than a third of Australia's cane sugar....
, the third generation of cane farmers who originally emigrated from Denmark in 1901. With both parents being disability pensioners during his childhood, he developed a strong sense of social justice. Christensen was schooled in Andergrove, Walkerston
Walkerston, Queensland
Walkerston is a town in central Queensland, Australia. The town is situated on the Peak Downs Highway south-west of Mackay. Walkerston straddles Bakers Creek for about . At the 2006 census, Walkerston had a population of 2,563....
and at Mackay State High before completing an undergraduate degree in journalism. He gained practical experience at the community newspaper, The Pioneer News before founding a successful publishing business producing two other community newspapers: Walkerston & Valley Advertiser and Northern Beaches Advertiser.
In 2004, Christensen was elected to Mackay City Council and in 2008, gained a seat on the amalgamated Mackay Regional Council
Mackay Regional Council
The Mackay Region is a Local Government Area located in North Queensland, Queensland, Australia. Established in 2008, it was preceded by three previous local government areas with histories extending back as far as 1869....
, where he is still a councillor. He has extensive community involvement and is currently a director of the Mackay Regional Housing Company and Vice-President of Mackay Regional Council for Social Development. He was the foundation chair of Walkerston Community Kindergarten Association and former chair of HACC Transport Mackay Inc.
Political career
Chrsitensen ran as the LNP candidate for the seat of Dawson at the 2010 federal election. On 5 February 2010 sitting member for Dawson, James BidgoodJames Bidgood (Australian politician)
James Mark Bidgood , Australian politician, was a member of the House of Representatives for the seat of Dawson, in north Queensland, representing the Australian Labor Party. He was elected at the November 2007 federal election, defeating the sitting Nationals member, De-Anne Kelly...
, announced that he would retire for health reasons, after only one term. Based on Australian Electoral Commission results as at close of the tally room count on 21 August 2010, Christensen was leading the two-party preferred vote
Two-party-preferred vote
In politics, the two-party-preferred vote , or two-candidate-preferred vote , in an election or opinion poll uses preferential voting to express the electoral result after the distribution of preferences...
by 2.04%.1
Christensen gained national media attention during the 2010 federal election campaign as attention was drawn to articles published by Christensen in the 1990s in The Student Advocate, a conservative university newsletter. The newsletter articles contained slurs against Jews, gays and women, and although Christensen claimed that the articles had been taken out of context he said he was sorry for publishing the comments.
After the election it was revealed that Christensen failed to resign from his position on the Mackay Regional Council
Mackay Regional Council
The Mackay Region is a Local Government Area located in North Queensland, Queensland, Australia. Established in 2008, it was preceded by three previous local government areas with histories extending back as far as 1869....
before the election, putting himself at risk of high court action which would not allow him to take office as the member for Dawson. Previously, independent Phil Cleary
Phil Cleary
Philip Ronald Cleary is an Australian commentator on politics and sport, particularly Australian rules football, and a former independent politician elected at the 1992 Wills by-election.-Football playing career:...
and Liberal Jackie Kelly
Jackie Kelly
Jacqueline Marie Kelly , former Australian politician, was a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives from March 1996 until November 2007, representing the Division of Lindsay, New South Wales.-Early career:...
have been faced with a by-election after failing to resign from public service positions before winning their respective seats.
Christensen reportedly stunned parliament when it was revealed on 22 June 2011, he attacked Labor for shutting down the live cattle trade to Indonesia but for not blaming "the religion that actually inspires the torture of the cattle there". Indonesia is an Islamic country.