Malcolm Turnbull has praised Australian Human Rights Commission president Gillian Triggs as a 'distinguished international legal academic,' following comments from the prime minister that the government had lost confidence in her.
Tony Abbott was questioned in Parliament yesterday over the revalation that Gillian Triggs had been asked to resign and told she would be given another job.
"It is true that the government has lost confidence in the president of the Human Rights Commission," Mr Abbott said.
The prime minister said the inquiry by the Human Rights Commission into children in immigration detention had been a "political stitch up."
But Mr Turnbull today refused to join the attack, instead trying to draw attention back to the subject of the report.
"The issue is not Gillian Triggs, or personalities, or arguments about the Human Rights Commission, the issue is the children," Mr Turnbull said. "All of us as parents in particular know how anguished it must be for children to be in these circumstances."
"I'm not going to buy into this discussion into Gillian Triggs. I've known Gillian Triggs for many years, she is a very distinguished international legal academic. I knew her when she was the Dean of Law at Sydney University."
"The issue is not Gillian Triggs, or personalities, or arguments about the Human Rights Commission, the issue is the children."
Professor Triggs told a Senate estimates hearing on Tuesday she had been offered "other unspecified work" by the government in exchange for her resignation.
Labor leader Bill Shorten asked the prime minister in question time whether he was aware of the "inducement" offered to Ms Triggs.
Mr Abbott said he did not know what matters had been canvassed with Ms Triggs but said the commission president herself had declined to call it an "inducement".
- With AAP
