In the hours after George Pell’s death, a steady stream of politicians rushed to pay tribute.
Between the former prime ministers Tony Abbott and John Howard, current Liberal leader Peter Dutton, former treasurer Joe Hockey and federal and state Liberal backbenchers, Pell was variously described as a “saint”, a man of “great integrity”, a “martyr”, and “a strong and determined religious leader” who “displayed consistent courage” in the face of unjust political persecution.
