Julian Burnside apologises for 'paedos in speedos' tweet by:...

Julian Burnside apologises for 'paedos in speedos' tweet by: Michael Harvey

From: Herald Sun September 30, 2011 1:53PM

PROMINENT lawyer Julian Burnside has apologised to Tony Abbott after what appeared to be a bizarre attack on the federal Opposition Leader.

Mr Burnside tweeted "Paedos in speedos'' today while unleashing a blistering series of Twitter comments about a newly published book on Mr Abbott.

The tweet was hurriedly followed by what he called an "unsolicited apology''.

"This is unprompted apology to #Abbott. He is NOT a pedophile and I was not referring to him. He has many flaws but that is not one of them,'' Mr Burnside, QC, tweeted.

Contacted by heraldsun.com.au, Mr Burnside said he thought he had been replying to an unrelated text message.

"It's all a big mistake,'' he said.

"I have already sent an unsolicited apology. I do not believe he is a paedophile.

"I thought I was responding one-on-one to a text from a person who raised a sort of pun.''

Mr Burnside said the pun in question was drawn from a BBC comedy program.

In his earlier Twitter posts, Mr Burnside described Mr Abbott as a "dangerous man with no moral compass'' who would lead Australia "back to the dark ages''.

He said new book Tony Abbott: A Man's Man, by Susan Mitchell, was "a terrifying portrait of a truly dangerous, unprincipled person: a liar and a hypocrite''.

Comment was being sought from Mr Abbott.

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