Don Brash has spoken out in defence of embattled rugby star Israel Folau.
"We're too focused on his comments about homosexuals," Brash told The AM Show on Monday.
"Nothing about drunks [or] fornicators. Most of the population was caught by his denunciation because we're all politically correct: we don't care about defending drunks or fornicators," he continued.
In April, Folau posted a photo on Instagram which said all drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists and idolaters would go to hell.
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His contract with Rugby Australia was terminated after he refused to remove the post.
In June, Folau began a GoFundMe page to crowdfund money for "legal action", calling the termination of his contract "unlawful". The page raised over AUS$630,000 (NZ$664,051) before it was shut down on Monday afternoon.
All donors to the page will be refunded.
Earlier, Brash had supported Folau's right to crowdfund.
"I think Folau is absolutely entitled to ask for financial contributions," he said.
"People talk about $6 million property portfolios. They don't talk about the mortgages on that, I suspect he's got $5 million mortgages."
But The AM Show sportsreader Mark Richardson had a different take.
"I'm with Don, I think Folau has a right to do this," he said. "But when you're entitled to do something - common sense should steer you away from it, and that's what he should have done."
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