Former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Fraser has launched a scathing attack on Tony Abbott and his Government over its treatment of the Human Rights Commission (HRC) and, in particular, its president Gillian Triggs.

The Commission's Forgotten Children report, which called for a royal commission into the detention of children under both Labor and Coalition governments, has been labelled "a blatantly partisan politicised exercise" by Mr Abbott.

The report found that detention had caused significant mental and physical illness to children and was in breach of Australia's international obligations.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Listen Duration: 4 minutes 53 seconds 4 m 53 s Former PM Malcolm Fraser condemns the Government's 'outrageous' attacks on Gillian Triggs. Download 8.9 MB

Mr Abbott on Thursday questioned why the HRC did not launch an inquiry when the previous Labor government was in power and the number of children in detention reached a peak of almost 2,000.

"This is a blatantly partisan politicised exercise and the Human Rights Commission ought to be ashamed of itself," he said on Macquarie Radio.

Mr Fraser spoke out on Saturday morning in support of HRC president Ms Triggs, saying Mr Abbott had handled the report very badly.

"If the Government had wanted to handle the matter sensibly, they would have said they recognise there have been abuses," he told AM.

"[They would have said] they will examine those abuses and have been, indeed, since they got the report in November - which, obviously, they haven't been - and they would have thanked the Commission for its work and said, 'we've got to get children out of detention as soon as possible'."

"Now, instead of doing that, they've chosen to attack the commission as a body and to attack the chairperson in particular, which I think is outrageous. I know Gillian Triggs. She's a very good, distinguished lawyer," he said.

Mr Fraser denied suggestions Ms Triggs had a political agenda or that the commission had a case to answer.

Human Rights Commission president Gillian Triggs. ( AAP: Alan Porritt, file photo )

"Absolutely not. She is fulfilling the charter laid out in the legislation," he said.

"I actually believe that, when this dies over, which it will do, that the people who are going to be damaged by the whole incident are the people in the Government and the Prime Minister in particular, because the Commission's reputation stands high amongst sorts of people.

"The chairperson's reputation stands high. And if criticism is to carry any weight, you've got to have some opinion of the person uttering it."

Mr Fraser said the response from Mr Abbott to the report showed he had not changed his "bully-boy" leadership style since the spill motion last week.

"The Prime Minister has got his back to the wall," Mr Fraser said.

"He's just survived a near rebellion from his own backbench and he has demonstrated, since then that ... he has not changed; he has not learnt; he has behaved in the same bully-boy fashion, which is a reputation that has haunted him since long before he was Prime Minister.

What is the Human Rights Commission? Set up in December 1986 as Australia's national human rights watchdog

Set up in December 1986 as Australia's national human rights watchdog Has the authority to investigate possible breaches of federal human rights and anti-discrimination laws

Has the authority to investigate possible breaches of federal human rights and anti-discrimination laws Operates independently from the Federal Government

Operates independently from the Federal Government President Gillian Triggs is a former barrister who was appointed to the job in 2012

"It is the utmost foolishness because it's going to be one of those things which again are put into the scales against the Government and against the Prime Minister.

"Whether his members suddenly find that they need to show a little more courage - because there is no way, whether the election is this year or next year, there is no way that this Government as presently constituted could possibly survive.

"Even Australians who take a very, very hard line about asylum seekers - and unfortunately there are more than I would like to think - are probably a bit uncomfortable with the kind of treatment that has been meted out to children in detention by the Australian Government in their name."

Mr Fraser said suggestions Ms Triggs should resign were "total absurdity".

"If anyone should resign, the Government should resign," he said.

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