Elizabeth Jackson reported this story on Saturday, February 14, 2015 08:00:30

ELIZABETH JACKSON: 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 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 "transparent stitch-up" by Tony Abbott.



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



Malcolm Fraser spoken out this morning in support of Gillian Triggs and he says Tony Abbott has handled the report very badly.



MALCOLM FRASER: If the Government had wanted to handle the matter sensibly, they would have said, well, they recognise there have been abuses. 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. She was with the Melbourne Law School earlier, done a number of important things.



ELIZABETH JACKSON: Is there any truth to the suggestion that she has a political agenda?



MALCOLM FRASER: No. Absolutely not. She is fulfilling the charter laid out in the legislation.



ELIZABETH JACKSON: So it seems as though you're suggesting that the Coalition's attitude is really a case of blatant politicisation; that there really isn't a case to answer on the part of the Human Rights Commission or Gillian Triggs?



MALCOLM FRASER: I don't believe there is a - 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. And I think it is...



You know, the Prime Minister has got his back to the wall. He's just survived a near rebellion from his own backbench and he has demonstrated, since then that, you know, 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.



ELIZABETH JACKSON: Is it a smart move politically to fire guns at the Human Rights Commission, metaphorically?



MALCOLM FRASER: 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. So, you know, 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.



I'm not saying it's necessarily the Government's fault, but unemployment is rising so the economic factors will be against it. And its budget measures have been seen to be very harsh. A lot of it is bad political judgement and this also is extraordinarily bad political judgement which... I mean, I don't think...



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.



ELIZABETH JACKSON: There are reports today that the Minister, George Brandis, in fact suggested to Gillian Triggs that she ought to resign. What do you think of that?



MALCOLM FRASER: I think it's a total absurdity. If anyone should resign, the Government should resign.



ELIZABETH JACKSON: Former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Fraser.