The Manila connection on Australia’s front page news

Controversial National Party MP, George Christensen has reportedly spent more days in the Philippines than he has in parliament last year.

However, according to reports, a cabinet minister says he travelled frequently to the Philippines because he’s “met someone to spend his life with.”

The Herald Sun reported today that Mr Christensen made 28 trips between April 2014 and June 2018, spending 42 weeks in the Philippines which is more than 5000km away from his Queensland seat of Dawson.

“Member for Manila” George Christensen spent 42 weeks in country more than 5000km from his marginal seat >> https://t.co/lFIDBspSQZ

— Herald Sun (@theheraldsun) March 26, 2019

Controversial National Party MP, George Christensen has reportedly spent more days in the Philippines than he has in parliament in recent years! He is engaged to woman he met over there. #9Today pic.twitter.com/k0EjqKeAiH

— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) March 26, 2019

Mr Christensen announced his engagement to Filipino woman April Asuncion in August last year and has previously said he had only been to the Philippines eight times. 

However, according to The Herald Sun’s report, Mr Christensen was there 19 times before his engagement.

The future Mrs Christensen

In September 2018, NSW Filipino community leader Roberto Mella Lastica posted on his Facebook account:

“Lucky 31 year old Filipina April Asuncion from Quezon City to marry George Christensen, the Member for Mackay.

“Mr Christensen’s interest in the Philippines stems from the large Filipino population in Mackay. He was appointed the Chair of the Parliamentary Friends of the Philippines”

The Courier Mail article stated, “Mr Christensen, in a rare interview about his private life, has revealed he will wed his partner of 18 months April Asuncion after popping the question three weeks ago.”

“Ms Asuncion, 31, hails from Quezon City in the Philippines, where she currently resides,” according to the Courier Mail.

Resources Minister Matt Canavan defended Mr Christensen and said that despite his frequent time in Manila, he was a dedicated local MP and that he deserved his privacy.

“This is a massive beat up which is an invasion of George’s privacy as well,” Senator Canavan told Sky News.

“He’s done a lot of charity work in the Philippines as well through his church. He’s spent his money doing this as well.”

According to The Australian, last year, Mr Christensen said he had been the subject of “highly defamat­ory” allegations as part of a “disgusting smear campaign waged against me by my political opponents”.

“It followed a front-page story in the Herald Sun reporting that a federal government MP’s “frequent trips to seedy neighbourhoods in Southeast Asia” had been scrutinised by police amid blackmail concerns,” The Australian stated.

Philtimes.com.au is not suggesting Mr Christensen has engaged in any wrongdoing.