Tim Wilson: Freedom Commissioner The Abbott government has sent shockwaves through the anti-discrimination and political establishments by appointing one of the nation's most vociferous critics of the Human Rights Commission as its new chief. Tim Wilson, for the past seven years a policy director of the Institute of Public Affairs, a free market think tank that this year called for the abolition of the Human Rights Commission, will be known as the "Freedom Commissioner." Mr Wilson, who resigned from both the IPA and the Liberal Party soon after the announcement, told Fairfax Media he was determined to "re-focus" the commission on the task of defending freedom of speech as a human right, rather than concentrating on anti-discrimination work. The Attorney-General, Senator George Brandis, made it clear Mr Wilson's $325,000-a-year appointment was made on both political and ideological grounds. "The appointment of Mr Wilson to this important position will help restore balance to the Australian Human Rights Commission which, during the period of the Labor government, has become increasingly narrow and selective in its view of human rights," Senator Brandis said. The shadow attorney-general, Mark Dreyfus, described Mr Wilson's appointment as "dubious to say the least." How can Mr Wilson possibly undertake the role of a Human Rights Commissioner when it's obvious he has such contempt for the commission itself? Mr Dreyfus said. By appointing Mr Wilson, Senator Brandis has sent a strong signal about exactly the kind of blatant political agenda he wishes to pursue as Attorney-General. Greens legal affairs spokeswoman Penny Wright described Mr Wilson's views as "extreme" and said Senator Brandis had "laid his ideological cards on the table." "The Attorney-General has already made it clear he thinks some human rights are more important than others, including that free speech ought to trump anti-discrimination laws," she said. Mr Wilson, who described himself as a "an economic and social liberal and a cultural and institutional conservative" conceded that "no doubt some people will find my appointment challenging." However, he did not expect any of his fellow commissioners to resign. I am presuming they are all professional individuals who wish to continue defending human rights. The commission's president, Gillian Triggs, who has been acting commissioner since August last year, offered cautious support. She said that although Mr Wilson had been critical, it was implicit in his acceptance of the position that he recognised the commission undertook effective work. Early this year, in a heated debate on ABC-TV with Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick, Mr Wilson condemned the commission as a "silent observer" which had displayed a "massive absence of knowledge and judgment on freedom of speech" when the Gillard government tried to impose new regulations on the media. He made clear on Monday he supported repealing the section of the Racial Discrimination Act that made it illegal to insult or offend people on the basis of their race.