[10][11] Christensen was schooled in Andergrove, Walkerston and at Mackay State High before completing an undergraduate communications degree in journalism at Central Queensland University in Rockhampton in 2000.

[24][25] Previously, independent Phil Cleary and Liberal Jackie Kelly had been faced with a by-election after failing to resign from public service positions before winning their respective seats.

[28] In June 2011 Christensen drew criticism from fellow MPs for his manner of attack on Labor's shutdown of the live cattle trade to Indonesia.

[31] In the 2013 Federal Election, Christensen won a second term in office by defeating Labor candidate Bronwyn Taha, adding a further 5.15% to give him a margin of 7.6%.

[32] In March 2013, Christensen told media that he wanted to see the death penalty introduced for serious crimes including murder involving sexual assault.

[33] In May 2011, Christensen refused to back a motion condemning the death penalty and instead told federal parliament he supported the death penalty "for terrorists and for those found guilty of the most heinous of crimes – murder of a child, particularly those involving rape, murder of an elderly person or a person with disabilities, again particularly those involving rape".

[34] In May 2014, Christensen stated on Twitter that those criticising the 2014 federal budget should "do a tour of Asia & live like these locals", featuring a photo of an impoverished backstreet in a non-specified country.

[42] Christensen was returned for a third term at the 2016 federal election, with a reduced margin when there was a 4.51% swing against him towards the Labor Party candidate Frank Gilbert.

Days before the election, Christensen issued a plea on Facebook for Americans to "do the rest of the free world a favour" and vote for Trump.

[12] Christensen repeatedly threatened to resign from the LNP, and in February 2017 wrote a "letter of demand" to the Prime Minister in relation to inaction by the Federal Government to resolve a sugar industry dispute affecting his electorate.

If (Prime Minister Malcolm) Turnbull and the others in Cabinet think this is (an) idle threat from George I suggest they have a quick rethink and come down on the Aussie farmers' side.

Christensen is a vocal supporter of the sugar industry and has rejected policies such as a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages aimed to reduce obesity.

[56][57] Christensen served on the "Inquiry into the destruction of 46,000 year old caves at the Juukan Gorge in the Pilbara region of Western Australia", which delivered its interim report in December 2020.

[58] During and after the 2021 United States Capitol attack, Christensen, along with fellow backbencher Craig Kelly, aired conspiracy theories relating to the riots on social media.

With these riots emboldening white supremacists and other far-right extremists in Australia, the refusal of Prime Minister Scott Morrison to reprimand them was seen as "dangerous" by one expert on violent extremism.

[59] In April 2021, Christensen announced he would not recontest the 2022 federal election, avowing an original intent to serve only three terms, and to spend more time with his family.

[70] Later in the same year, he was again investigated by the Australian Federal Police, due to the discovery of large amounts of money being sent overseas by the MP.

The federal police found no crime had been committed under Commonwealth law but did raise concerns over whether he had compromised his position as an MP.

[6] Turnbull alleged that the AFP told him Christensen was spending "substantial sums in Manila bars and nightclubs as well as making many small payments to women there".

[73] Turnbull alleged that Christensen threatened him via the dissolving message app, Signal, saying "'remember two words: parliamentary privilege; and two more years of it".

[78] In September 2014, Christensen labeled Greenpeace and other environmentalists as terrorists, stating that they are "gutless green grubs" for opposing the expansion of the Abbot Point coal terminal in his electorate.

In a speech to Parliament, Christensen said that "the greatest terrorism threat in North Queensland, I'm sad to say, comes from the extreme green movement".

[81] In February 2013, Christensen was the only federal MP to attend a rally featuring controversial Dutch politician and anti-Islam campaigner Geert Wilders during his tour of Australia.

"[82] In the wake of the 2012 Sydney anti-Islam film protests in September, Christensen criticised those taking part in the demonstration, saying those who broke the law should "jump on the first plane and head back to where you come from because that stuff is just simply not on in this nation.

"[83] He also called for authorities to investigate the parents of a young boy who held up a sign which read "behead all those who insult the prophet" during the protests and said the child in question should be put in the care of "better people".

[89][90] The #illridewithyou hashtag was begun during the Sydney Siege, with thousands of people offering to accompany Muslim women on trains, buses, ferries and planes if they felt vulnerable travelling wearing hijabs and burqas.

In 2017 he appeared on "The Dingoes", a group that runs a podcast titled The Convict Report, which has included guests such as One Nation MP Mark Latham.

[9] Christensen holds an ostensibly anti-abortion stance and has criticised all factions of parliament, including his own party, for funding local and international services which provide abortion.

[106] A joint investigation between Nine News, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age alleged Christensen was a regular at the Ponytails bar - an adult entertainment venue in Angeles City.