Conservative MP uses Merrylands 'terror attack' to call out radical Islam in Australia
Government MP George Christensen had to retract comments about a "failed terror attack" in Sydney Thursday night in which he said Australia needed to look at the "problem of radical Islam".
As the news about a car carrying accelerants crashing into the Merrylands police station still coming through, Christensen was quick to make comment about the unfolding situation on this Facebook page.
"I wonder how quickly some idiot is going to inanely say this has nothing to do with Islam or talk about a religion of peace or blame those who oppose radical Islam on even Australia as a whole for marginalising some 'disaffected youth'," the post read.
The post, linking to a breaking news story, ended with a call for Australians to address "radical Islam".
"How about for once we talk about the problem at hand: the ideology of radical Islam and its adherents and we, as a nation, are going to do about it."
The conservative MP's comments were soon shown to be wide of the mark as police said the car allegedly driven into the police garage by 61-year-old Greystains man was not an act of terror.
"There's nothing to indicate this is in any way related to terrorism," NSW Police assistant commissioner Denis Clifford said in the immediate aftermath of the
"We'll keep an open mind, but we're not leaning that way at this stage."
It has since come to light the driver was suffering a mental episode when he drove his car into the police station.
Christensen added an update to the original post, correcting his original remarks about terrorism.
"New reports in state that surprisingly for Merrylands, this incident may not have been a terrorist attack as the ABC originally reported it to be.
"News is still rolling in, so we will see."
Christensen did not delete his initial comments, but he doubled down on his remarks about radical Islam in Australia and that "we need to work out what we do about it".
The Christian conservative from McKay said in September last year he would prefer not to settle Syrian refugees in his electorate.
