Retiring Queensland politician George Christensen has quit the Liberal National Party (LNP).
Christensen shared his resignation letter on social media saying he had fulfilled his ethical obligation to serve out his term under the party whose banner he was elected, but now he wanted nothing to do with the LNP.
“My resignation should come as no surprise given the public disenchantment I have expressed about the about the party’s direction, particularly its support of a net zero target and, more so, its failure to take action against vaccine mandates and destructive pandemic policies.” Christensen said.
The member for Dawson said the party no longer resembles the conservative political organisation he joined three decades ago.
“The part needs to undertake some serious soul-searching about what — and who — it stands for. If it wants to be all things to all people, including the Left, then it will do so without the support of conservative voters, and this will see it inhabiting the Opposition benches for many a moon.”
Prior to joining parliament Christensen worked as a political staffer and also spent time as a publisher of two community newspapers. He served was elected to local government, before being selected to be the LNP candidate for Dawson in 2010.
Christensen has not revealed what he’ll be doing after he leaves the parliament, but has said he’s leaving the parliament not politics.
“I’m not leaving politics – I’m leaving parliament – we’re all involved in politics as citizens. I’m going to be in the fray. I was a journalist before I was in politics … I’ll probably step back into that in the future, in some way, shape or form,” the MP told the recent Prayer and Pushback online conference. .
He has registered a new business entity which appears to be a online news aggregation site. In recent months the MP have spent a significant amount promoting ways people could ‘stay in touch’ which him after he leaves parliament. This week opposition MPs were asking if any tax payer money had been spent on launching the MP’s new business venture.
OIP Staff
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