ChAFTA debate a 'circus'

It was billed as a public debate about the ChAFTA and the importance of protecting local jobs, given the ongoing concerns expressed by unions about the landmark trade deal’s supposed lack of protections for Australian workers.

But posting on Facebook, Mr Christensen told the twisted tale about his unusual Friday night confrontation at the Victoria Park State School Hall in Mackay South, in his Dawson electorate.

He said he fronted a crowd of about 100 Labor-voting union-members for what was billed as a fair debate over the ChAFTA.

But the young and social media savvy MP said the forum ended up being a “circus” where he was on one side of the debate and five other speakers - including a Senator, two Labor candidates and two union bosses - spoke against him.

“The guy who they had advertising as debating me didn't even turn up,” he said.

“They couldn't stop me from ripping them to pieces with the facts though.

“And the facts are: government policy is, under the China free trade deal, no Australian's job can be taken by a foreigner - and that's now going to be made law.”

Mr Christensen said “you could (of) heard a pin drop” when he read out the black and white text of government policy and the law, to the audience.

He said he then accused the union bosses of lying and also failing to stand up for jobs “when it come to their mates in the Greens and their attacks on Abbot Point and the Carmichael mine”.

Legislative changes agreed to by the government and Labor recently sought to address concerns about job protections and labour market testing provisions in the ChAFTA to ensure its ratification would deliver two early tariff cuts valued at an estimated $300 million to the farm-sector.

In response to Mr Christensen’s taunting, Queensland Council of Unions Secretary Ros McLennan said he was the only Coalition MP who didn’t get the party leader’s ChAFTA memo.

A statement from the union said after 22 community debates hosted by the ACTU in marginal seats throughout the country, with every MP declining the invitation to attend, the union movement could be forgiven for assuming Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had banned MPs from attending.

But apparently one federal Government MP did not get the PM’s memo, she said.

Ms McLennan said she was more than surprised when Mr Christensen turned up to debate her.

“Honestly, I thought I’d seen an apparition,” she said.

“Then I realised, this guy didn’t get the memo – he actually turned up.”

Ms McLennan said while she was prepared for the debate, she thought it would be much like the previous four she’d attended in Queensland where she’d be “debating an empty chair again”.

“The government’s entire strategy on the China Free Trade deal has relied on keeping things secret – the deal was secret, there was no community consultation and 22 MPs refused to debate us in front of the public,” she said.

Ms McLennan said she was also surprised at what Mr Christensen brought to debate to back up his arguments.

“He turned up with some pretty out-there flyers - it was a bit of a hark back to the sort of language Pauline Hanson used to rely on,” she said.

ACTU president Ged Kearney said she was equally surprised at what transpired Friday night but was relieved that at least one community had the chance for a real debate on ChAFTA.

“People I’ve spoken with in these communities just want the economic benefit of big projects in their communities to flow to the local economy - it’s not actually an unreasonable ask,” she said.

The debate continued on Mr Christensen’s Facebook page where he said he was originally invited to debate Rohan Webb of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union but he was a “no-show” hence Ms McLennan stepping in as a replacement.

He said the debate organiser's best attack was a Facebook picture of him allegedly leaving the event during question time when question time had finished and a series of Labor political candidates were being allowed to “get up and rant”.

“Quite frankly there are better things to do on Friday night than listen to Labor candidates drivel on,” he said.

“Quite a number of others thought so too and walked out with me.”