Abbott uninjured but shocked after headbutt incident

Former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott says he’s shocked but unscathed after being allegedly headbutted while walking the streets of Hobart.

Abbott was leaving the Hobart Mercury newspaper office when a man called out and asked to shake his hand, but then turned the gesture into a headbutt.

‘‘It is a shock to have a fellow Australian seeking to shake your hand and turn a handshake into an assault,’’ Abbott said. ’’Normally a handshake is a sign of trust and peace.’’

Abbott was in Tasmania campaigning for the ‘‘no’’ vote in the national same-sex marriage survey, along with Liberal colleague Senator Eric Abetz.

‘‘My plea to everyone in the remaining weeks of this debate is to keep it courteous, keep it respectful, but above all else, respect the values, the institutions which have shaped us since the beginning of our journey and which I think should continue to shape us,’’ Abbott said.

Australia began a noncompulsory postal vote this month to determine whether it becomes the 25th country to legalise samesex marriage. The emotionally charged campaign has seen an alarming volume of hate speech.

However, the man accused of headbutting Abbott says the alleged act had nothing to do with marriage equality.

Astro Labe, 38, a DJ, was yesterday charged with assaulting the former prime minister. He is expected to face court in October.

Labe, a self-confessed anarchist, said he spotted Abbott on the street and went over to shake his hand before leaning in for a headbutt.

‘‘I picked up pace and went ‘Tony, Tony, can I shake your hand?’,’’ he said. ‘‘And I shook his

"Normally a handshake is a sign of trust and peace."

Tony Abbott

hand, and I was a little bit too drunk to actually connect particularly well.’’

Labe said he was wearing a ‘‘yes’’ sticker supporting the samesex marriage campaign, but the attempted headbutt was inspired by a general dislike for Abbott and not one issue in particular.

‘‘Coincidentally, some friend had put a sticker on me,’’ he said.

Malcolm Turnbull phoned his predecessor after the incident, and was in in touch again via text yesterday. ‘‘This is a disgraceful incident, and I condemn this assault on Tony,’’ Turnbull said.

Abetz had dinner with Abbott after the incident and described him as ‘‘stirred, but not shaken’’.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten described the attack as unacceptable. ‘‘I’m glad Mr Abbott isn’t seriously injured, and I’ve rung him to say so,’’ he said on Twitter.

- AAP, Reuters