The government MP George Christensen billed taxpayers $1,600 to travel to the Great Barrier Reef and meet the far-right identity Lauren Southern but the controversial YouTuber “pulled the pin” on the appearance.

The latest records of MPs’ financial interests reveal that Christensen accepted a free “reef trip from Cairns to Great Barrier Reef” from a company named Axiomatic Events.

Axiomatic had arranged for Southern to meet up with Christensen, Dr Peter Ridd, a controversial marine scientist, and some local young conservatives on 16 July 2018, leaving from Cairns and taking a fishing charter out to the reef.

But Southern declined to interview Christensen during the trip. He instead posted a video of him and Ridd, out on the reef together.

Christensen has only just this week declared that Axiomatic paid for the boat trip, more than a year after it took place. Other costs appear to have been picked up by taxpayers.

via George Christensen expenses trip to meet alt-right figure Lauren Southern | Australia news | The Guardian