Former prime minister Tony Abbott has defended his decision to stand by George Pell after his conviction for child sex offences.
Former prime minister Tony Abbott has defended his decision to stand by George Pell after the Cardinal's conviction for child sex offences, but says he does not recall whether he was asked to provide a character reference.
Hadley - who last week excoriated former prime minister John Howard, who gave a glowing character reference for Pell after his conviction, for showing "a complete lack of understanding" of the victims of paedophiles - demanded to know whether Mr Abbott had also provided a reference."Look, Ray, I honestly don't know if I was asked to provide a reference or not," Mr Abbott said.
Hadley said that he found himself "at odds" with Mr Howard's decision to give a reference in which no mention was made of the victims of Pell's crimes, saying it was highly unusual for a convicted paedophile to receive such unwavering support. Mr Abbott declined to comment on Mr Howard's decision, saying he could not speak for the man who had been "my colleague and mentor for many years".
The shock jock, who has long used his radio program to draw attention to the crimes of paedophiles, last week implied Mr Abbott's actions could cost him his seat in Federal Parliament at the election.
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