2. Bill Shorten.
“A faker. I see him up there talking about these visions and grand plans and all I can think of, is that he’s acting,” said Christensen.
“Julia Gillard was wrong most of the time but she believed in what she was saying.”
3. Tony Abbott.
“Do I think that Tony Abbott was universally loved across the nation? No, not across the nation or across my electorate. Is Malcolm Turnbull universally loved? No.”
4. Adani.
Indian mining company Adani has had a multi-billion dollar coal mine for the Galilee Basin approved by the federal government. But it’s repeatedly been delayed because Adani can’t get the money to start the project.
“(The mine represents) hope for increased activity. Increased jobs.”
5. Mackay.
“You’re talking to someone that’s lived here his whole life.”
6. GetUp!
Earlier this week, Christensen said he’d personally donate $12,000 to a local turtle conservation group if he was elected in July. GetUp! said it was a bribe and lodged an official complaint to electoral authorities. Christensen withdrew the offer.
“(They should) stump up the 12 grand,” said Christensen.
BuzzFeed News suggested there’d be less confusion if Christensen offered the donation with no strings attached.
“Well I can’t offer the $12,000 if I don’t have an income!”
Christensen said he’d probably return to working as a journalist if he lost his seat at the election and therefore, could not afford the $12,000 donation.
7. Climate change.
“I believe that the climate changes. The question you really need to ask me, do I believe in the theory of anthroporgenic climate change…”
BuzzFeed News asked, “Do you believe in man made climate change?”
He replied, “I believe that man has an impact on the climate, yes.”
“I think it’s overstated the impact that we have on the climate. There’s a great ball of fire in the sky that has a bigger impact on the climate than we do.”
8. Coral bleaching.
Christensen blamed the El Nino weather system for the disastrous coral bleaching event occurring on the Great Barrier Reef.
“It won’t be dead,” he said of the reef, “It won’t die.”
9. Donald Trump.
“I like his idea of building a wall. I don’t know how he’s going to get Mexico to pay for it.”
Christensen said he liked several of Trump’s ideas. He argued that Trump’s idea of banning Muslim migration went a little too far, but Australia should restrict immigration from the Middle East.
“I probably wouldn’t go as far to say, no Islamic immigration to Australia… there’s an argument to be put forward that as a precautionary principle when it comes to national security, and what we’re not accepting immigration from countries with a high level of extremism or Islamism in it.”
10. Pauline Hanson.
Christensen blamed political correctness for anti-Islam politician, Pauline Hanson’s possible return to the parliament.
“(She) got a lot of support because we bottled up a lot of stuff in the name of political correctness and we’re doing it again.”
11. Feminist.
“Each to their own. I don’t know as a bloke, I could say that I’m a feminist. I naturally associate feminism, that only a woman can be a feminist.”
BuzzFeed News replied, “What if I said to you, strictly, being a feminist is believing in equality between the sexes?”
“Of course then I’m a feminist then. If that’s the definition of feminism then I support feminism.”
12. Safe Schools.
“It should just be ended,” said Christensen, who has waged a personal war against the anti-bullying program in schools.
“They’ve proven the fact that it’s not just about anti-bullying. It’s about breaking down notions of gender and I think that’s when we get into social-engineering.”