Culture

Enjoy This Horrifying Photo Of Coalition MP George Christensen Wielding A Whip

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by Osman Faruqi  30 November 2016

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It’s been a busy day in federal parliament.

Earlier this afternoon, during question time, a group of refugee activists shut down proceedings by launching a protest in the House of Representatives.

The protesters were eventually ejected by security and parliament returned to its normal business, but not before Queensland Coalition MP George Christensen posted this on Twitter:

What are you saying George? You’re going to whip refugee activists? Why are you quoting a coke-addicted mass murderer?

Sensing an opportunity, the editor of the Good Weekend, Amelia Lester, announced on Twitter that this Saturday’s edition featured a profile on Christensen, complete with this cover:

I think this guy sums up all of our feelings:

Yep, that’s George Christensen, wearing a blue singlet, showing his off tattoo featuring Mary and baby Jesus, wielding a whip. Why’s he got a whip? Well see, he’s the chief National Party Whip in Parliament, that’s why he’s got a whip.

The photo was taken by Andrew Meares and it’s already well on it’s way to becoming an infamous part of Australia’s dark political history.

Because the internet is a terrible, terrible place, people had to go and make this image even more horrifying than it already is:

But most people… didn’t have a lot of words.

It’s hard to pick what the most unnerving aspect of the photo is, but the tattoo has got to right up there.

According to journalist Matthew Knott, who wrote the feature, the tattoo is the work of the Mad Monk tattoo parlour in Christensen’s hometown of Mackay.

It didn’t take long for people to find a way to mock Christensen’s hard-right social views.

Christensen is well known for his opposition to the Safe Schools program and his desire to be seen as the Pauline Hanson-lite of Australian parliament. But back in 2010 when he was first running for election, he was criticised for comments he made in a university paper that were “critical of Jews, gays and women.”

What a guy.

You can read the full profile on George Christensen, and view that photo in it’s full, printed glory this Saturday in Good Weekend.