Christensen threatens coalition majority over sugar

The Federal Liberal-National coalition faces continued threats to its lower house majority from LNP MP George Christensen.

Reports circulated last week that the rogue MP had again threatened to quit the government and follow the lead of former Liberal Party Senator Cory Bernardi in joining the crossbench.

The member for Dawson in Northern Queensland has been fighting for support from the government in implementing a code of conduct for the sugar industry, which is dominated by multinational processor and distributor Wilmar Sugar.

‘Wilmar has… a virtual monopoly’ said Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce last year.

Christensen wrote on his facebook page that if reforms were not introduced, his ‘ongoing support for the government could not be guaranteed’.

He told Ross Greenwood on Money News that he sat down and wrote a letter to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull threatening such a course, but did not send it.

‘I was getting frustrated talking about it and not getting any action’.

‘The QLD government, unbelievably, has sided with a multinational company that pays no tax in Australia’.

‘They have all the growers over a barrel… that’s not the Australian way’.

Christensen told Greenwood that he was satisfied by developments in recent days that could see legislation introduced by Queensland’s state opposition resolve the issue.

Ross pressed Christensen on his future with the Federal Liberal-National coalition.

‘I want to remain a member of the National Party’

‘I’m a member of the Liberal National Party in QLD… I’m not a member of the Liberal Party.’

Christensen said he would ‘absolutely’ vote against the government in future if necessary.

‘Send a robot down to Canberra to do the job.. if you’re not going to hold true to your electorate’s values’.

Listen to the full interview here: