Federal Government backbencher Eric Abetz has welcomed the withdrawal of a race discrimination complaint against cartoonist Bill Leak.

The cartoon in question, published by News Limited in August, shows an Aboriginal man with a beer can, unable to remember his son's name, as a policeman questions him.

"Australians do love their freedom of speech even if sometimes they find it uncomfortable," Senator Abetz said after the complaint was withdrawn.

The cartoon was drawn in response to a widespread focus on the treatment of Aboriginal people in Australia's prisons, after images of abuse in Don Dale detention centre were broadcast on Four Corners in July.

After it was published, the Race Discrimination Commissioner issued a reminder on social media that those who found it upsetting had the right to complain under the Racial Discrimination Act.

A woman then lodged a complaint under section 18C of the act, which allows a person to sue if the cartoon is reasonably likely to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate on the basis of race, colour or national or ethnic origin.

However, publications can be defended, under section 18D of the act, if they are in the course of debate on an issue in the public interest or a fair comment on any event.

Leak has previously told Lateline he was "bewildered" when he was accused of being racist, and that the Human Rights Commission complaint "stifled free speech".

The complaint was dropped on Friday.

Senator Abetz asked why the Human Rights Commission did not immediately dismiss the complaint as vexatious and said they had to answer "very quickly".

He has pointed to the $300,000 salary of the commissioner and asked whether the commission was "bleeding the taxpayer" for any "actual, useful purpose".

Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion labelled the cartoon "racist" and said he was appalled by it when it was published.