Gogo1; unless you're very wealthy and able to brawl ad infinitum in the streets of Manly, unsolicited physical assault is a criminal offence.
If, as Tony Abbott has alleged, he was assaulted then that person should be held to account in the courts - as Abbott himself was in relation to allegations he assaulted Barbara Ramjan. Interestingly; Abbott is now claiming he pushed the person away - something that may itself be construed as assault.
As for how 'ugly' this matter was - the attempted assassination of Arthur Caldwell was indeed ugly; this alleged incident is NOT in that league and just another example of Abbott's self-serving exaggeration:
