Unhappy about the budget? Try living like poor Asians.

That’s the message from Nationals MP George Christensen, who has used Twitter to rebuke Australians angry about tough budget measures.

“Aussies should do tour of Asia & live like locals to put these 1st world complaints re budget in perspective,” he tweeted on Thursday, attaching a picture of impoverished Asian children in a slum for added effect.

Aussies should do tour of Asia & live like locals to put these 1st world complaints re budget in perspective #auspol pic.twitter.com/FR4MvkxxI1

— George Christensen (@GChristensenMP) May 22, 2014

Dozens of people fired tweets back, labelling the comments disgraceful and shameful.

Others suggested reversing foreign aid cuts in the budget to alleviate poverty in Asia.

But it did little to sway the outspoken Queensland MP, who defended his tweet by criticising “lefty twitter warriors” for going into meltdown.

“Sometime truth hurts,” he tweeted.

Mr Christensen addressed a number of critics on the site, telling one that budget whingers’ complaints were minuscule on a global scale.

“Try getting any serious form of welfare in Thailand or other SE Asian nations,” he replied to another.