Tim Wilson, for the past seven years a policy director of the Institute of Public Affairs, a conservative think tank that early this year called for the abolition of the Human Rights Commission, will be known informally 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.

Attorney-General 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.

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."

Australian Greens legal affairs spokeswoman Penny Wright said Mr Wilson's views were "extreme" and 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," he said.

Commission'  president  Gillian Triggs, who has been acting Human Rights Commissioner since August last year, offered cautious support.

She said that although Mr Wilson had been critical of the commission, it was implicit in his acceptance of the position that he recognised the commission undertook effective and worthwhile work.

Ms Triggs said she welcomed Senator Brandis' promise of a review "and we welcome the focus on freedom of expression".

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 that 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.

Conservative News Corp columnist Andrew Bolt in 2011 was found to have breached section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act after he wrote two articles implying some light-skinned people who identified as indigenous Australians were doing so for personal gain.

Prominent Coalition MPs, particularly Senator Brandis, have been fiercely critical of the ruling and have moved to modify the section of the Racial Discrimination Act that landed Bolt in trouble.

In his words ... Tim Wilson's views

On discrimination: "You have a human right of freedom of association, you have a right of speech; I am not sure I am convinced there is a human right against discrimination, as abhorrent as it is."

On hate speech: "People have a right to free speech. They do not have a right not to be offended or insulted."

On free speech: "Understandably, we all go squeamish when we are called to defend the principle of free speech. We are never called to defend it when people say 'please' and 'thank you', only when individuals say something that at least someone doesn’t like ... But the solution is more speech, not less. We should preserve the right to speak out, mock them and ridicule them for the stupidity of their comments or the hate in their heart."

On the 'Bolt law': "Irrespective of what any individual thinks about how 18C [of the Racial Discrimination Act] has been used in the past, it should be repealed ... it fundamentally undermines the human right to free speech."

On the Human Rights Commission: "When there was a giant attack on [freedom of speech] the Human Rights Commission was completely missing in action and needs to be held to account for that."

On same-sex marriage: "Same-sex couples are far more likely to be positive contributors to the tax and transfer system because they are less likely to have children. Similarly, people in relationships are less likely to draw from the social welfare system. But despite paying a disproportionately higher contribution, they don’t get extended the same civil rights. It’s an extension of the 'no taxation without representation' argument. The same civil obligations should be matched with the same civil rights."

Clarification: An earlier version of this article said Tim Wilson would head the Human Rights Commission.