An anti-coal mine activist has reported maverick Nationals MP George Christensen to police for posting a social media image of himself wielding a handgun.
The member for Dawson’s message was accompanied by the phrase, ‘You gotta ask yourself, do you feel lucky, greenie punks?’
The north Queensland MP’s parody of Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry movie character didn’t amuse Brisbane-based Stop Adani activist Ben Pennings, who reported the Facebook post to Queensland police on Thursday last week.
Anti-coal mine activist Ben Pennings reported Nationals MP George Christensen to Queensland police for a Facebook post
The member for Dawson said the controversy over his Facebook post, featuring image of him at the George Range west of Mackay, showed ‘you can’t have a joke anymore’
He said the image of Mr Christensen at George Range near Mia Mia, south-west of Mackay, had sparked 100 online death threats against him, adding ‘threats of physical violence to peaceful protesters are particularly unacceptable’.
‘I reckon the abusers are ultimately cowards but I’ve gone to the police just to be sure,’ Mr Pennings said.
Mr Christensen, who removed that post on Sunday at the request of Acting Nationals leader Nigel Scullion, stressed he had not incited violence against green groups.
‘No one should shoot a greenie except with the facts,’ he told Daily Mail Australia on Sunday.
Greens leader Richard Di Natale said Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull should instruct Mr Christensen to remove the post, even though it had already been taken down
Mr Christensen removed his post, referencing Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry movie character from 1971, at the request of acting Nationals leader Nigel Scullion
The outspoken backbencher said environmental activists had broken the law themselves, by violently protesting against the Adani coal mine proposed for Queensland’s Galilee Basin, and had threatened free speech.
‘The problem we have is that you can’t have a joke anymore.
‘Not just in politics but almost in any walk of life.
‘If you make a statement that is humorous but it upsets someone particular group, well the whole world comes down on top of you.
‘It is just a nonsense. I don’t apologise for that.’
Greens leader Richard Di Natale made a separate report to the Australian Federal Police.
‘I have reported George Christensen’s disgraceful post to the AFP and have asked Malcolm Turnbull to instruct him to take it down and apologise,’ the Melbourne-based senator said.