ABBOTT COPS A HEADBUTT

Former PM says he was assaulted by same-sex campaigner in Hobart

FORMER Prime Minister Tony Abbott says he was headbutted on Hobart’s waterfront by a same-sex marriage campaigner pretending to shake his hand.

Mr Abbott was in Hobart for a Young Liberals’ cocktail function last night and was allegedly assaulted in the waterfront area after leaving the offices of the Mer- cury, left, in Salamanca Square about 4.30pm. Mr Abbott told Melbourne radio station 3AW the incident was politically motivated and left him with a swollen lip.

“I was walking from the Mercury office across that docks area ... towards my hotel and this fellow sung out at me, ‘Hey Tony’. I turned around, there was a chap wearing a vote ‘Yes’ badge,” he said.

“He said, ‘I want to shake your hand’. I went over to shake his hand but he headbutted me.

“Now, he wasn’t very good at it I must say. But he did make contact ... I was with a member of my staff and my staff briefly grappled with this guy and he then ran off swearing his head off.

“As he was scuttling away, amid all the F-this and F-that, was ‘ you deserve it because of all the things you’ve said’. I think it was pretty clear it was politically motivated violence.”

Tasmania Police said it would release a statement about the incident but nothing had been issued late last night. Federal Police said it was a matter for the state force.

Mr Abbott, who shared pictures from a lunch in Hobart where he had met with “No” campaigners yesterday afternoon, said the attack was “disconcerting”.

“It was just a reminder of how ugly the debate is getting and the ugliness is not coming from the defenders of marriage as it has always been understood,” he told 3AW.

“The ugliness and intolerance and in this instance, the hint of violence, is coming from those who tell us in the name of decency and freedom, we have to allow same-sex marriage. The love-is-love brigade is not showing a lot of love I have got to say.”

Sky News presenter Andrew Bolt, who first reported the incident, said Mr Abbott had described his alleged attacker as a having “tatts and that sort of stuff”.

The presenter said Mr Abbott had told him he was “kicking himself over whether he should’ve punched him”.

Tasmanian marriage equality advocate Rodney Croome condemned the alleged assault. Mr Croome said the “Yes” campaign should not be judged by the action of one person whose only link to the campaign was a badge.

“This attack on Tony Abbott, like any violence on the basis of political belief, is be- neath contempt and has no place in Australian public debate, especially when that debate is about love, commitment, tolerance and respect,” he said.

“But I also urge Australians not to make a judgment about marriage equality on the basis of the delinquency of one person whose only link to the ‘Yes’ campaign was wearing a badge.”

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten sad the attack was terrible. “Violence like this is never acceptable,” Mr Shorten said on Twitter.

“I’m glad Mr Abbott isn’t se- riously injured and I’ve rung him to say so.”

Tasmanian Labor Senator Lisa Singh said there was no place for violence in the samesex marriage debate.

Mr Abbott has become a prominent voice of the “No” campaign against same-sex marriage leading up to the national postal survey on the issue. The Liberal backbencher has repeatedly said same-sex marriage campaigners have been responsible for “bullying and hate speech” throughout the campaign.

THE Coalition for Marriage is questioning the removal of a billboard message at the Hobart Showground relating to the same-sex marriage vote.

Coalition spokesman Alex Sidhu said the sign was erected at 10am yesterday, but was taken down at 3pm.

It is one of about 10 “It’s OK to say ‘No’’’ billboards erected around Tasmania with the Winston Hotel in North Hobart yesterday distancing itself from a similar poster erected on its roof.

“The Winston is in no way affiliated with the billboard on the roof of our building or the views of its advertisers,” its social media post said.

“In case there was any doubt: Winston is all about LOVE.”

Mr Sidhu said he did not want to comment on why the showground billboard was taken down.

“We are just concentrating on getting our message out that there are consequences to a change to the definition of marriage,” he said.

It is understood the billboard is owned and operated by Claude Neon, but company spokesman Ben Kuffer would not comment on its removal.

Liberal Senator Eric Abetz said it was “another ugly example of intimidation and bullying engaged in by the ‘Yes’ campaign”.

Hobart Showground chief executive Scott Gadd said his organisation took a neutral stance on the same-sex marriage debate and signs were welcome unless they were deemed offensive.

“Obviously this sign upset some people and was removed.”