Independent senator Cory Bernardi spoke at the anti-halal fundraiser in Melbourne on Friday. The Greens will push a motion against Mr Christensen in the House of Representatives on Monday calling for his sacking from the LNP as opposition parties seek to ratchet up pressure on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull over the hard right agenda advocated by elements of the Coalition. But Mr Christensen told Fairfax Media on Saturday that Mr Turnbull "cannot be held responsible" for him fronting the Q Society event, which was almost derailed by left-wing protesters. "I chose to attend at my own cost," Mr Christensen said. "I personally paid for airfares, accommodation and car transport. Taxpayers did not pay one cent for my trip to Melbourne.

Kirralie Smith speaks at a Q Society fundraiser for her legal battle on February 9. Credit:Wolter Peeters "I attended the 'defending freedom' event because I believe we are slowly seeing the erosion of free speech with the myriad of anti-discrimination laws we have in this country and the threats of violence from Islamist and leftist groups like [anti-fascist] Antifa." Mr Christensen, who courted controversy in 2015 when he addressed a rally of far-right Reclaim Australia, described the anti-Muslim, anti-gay comments of Mr Pickering as "disgusting" but pointed out he was an "edgy cartoonist". Former Liberal MP and Sky News host Ross Cameron at the Q Society fundraiser in February. Credit:Wolter Peeters During his address to the Q Society, Mr Christensen spoke of the "hypocrisy of leftists".

"They are protesting against us for being against radical Islam when Sharia law doesn't allow free speech, subjugates women and has the death penalty for homosexuality. I also pointed out that many great minds would have fallen foul of our anti-discrimination laws for criticising Islam, including Winston Churchill, Gandhi, Dante, Voltaire, Mark Twain and Carl Jung amongst many others." Coalition politician George Christensen says he worried about 'threats of violence from Islamist and leftist groups'. Credit:Andrew Meares Senator Bernardi told the $150-a-head fundraiser that those there were described in pejorative terms as "hard right" but were actually just normal "people with concerns". The Q Society dinner was part of an effort to raise to raise funds for a defamation case brought by halal certifier Mohamed El-Mouelhy who is suing Liberty Alliance political candidate Kirralie Smith over her videos alleging halal certification funds illegal activity. On Saturday, Ms Smith posted a statement in which she claimed the media is engaged in a "witch hunt" against her friend Mr Pickering and Mr Cameron.

"Larry is a friend and we don't see eye-to-eye on a number of issues including the issue of gays and also my Christian faith. But we are mature enough to engage in debate and not spit the dummy every time the other says something we don't like," Ms Smith wrote. "To be clear – I do not accept, condone or agree with Larry's statement. "What disappoints me the most is that the media are on a witch hunt over Larry and Ross BUT completely ignore the fact that there are Muslims that actually do throw gays off buildings! Where is the same level of outrage directed at the Islamic practice that inspired Larry's comment? Absolutely condemn his comment but it is time the same offenderati brigade got equally worked up about the daily human rights abuses that are being carried out by some Muslims here and around the world." "I felt in the context of his speech and his dry humour he had every right to say those things at a dinner defending freedom of speech. His walk through history and his dry, sharp humour highlighted the danger we now live in when the media elite and political class censor, abuse, deride and isolate people because they hold a different view. The SMH article was actually a perfect illustration of how when the media don't like something they throw their full weight behind whipping up offence and shutting people down without engaging in debate," she wrote. Mr Cameron has resisted making an apology as some of his colleagues and the NSW Liberal Party on Sky News distanced themselves from him after Thursday's derogatory remarks about gay people.

Sky News political editor David Speers called the Q Society event "appalling" and commentator Peter van Onselen said he was "scared where this kind of hate is going". Loading The Greens motion will note that "Malcolm Turnbull's failure to rein in George Christensen [is a] tacit endorsement of the homophobic and Islamophobic views that this hate group espouses" and the Prime Minister's silence "sends a message to people of Islam faith that they are not welcome in Australia". Greens leader Richard Di Natale said: "There was a time that these views were not welcome inside the Coaltion. Senator Pauline Hanson was expelled from the Liberal Party for similar views but they are now clearly embraced inside the Coalition"