A man has been charged over the alleged headbutting of former Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

Tasmanian police confirmed a 38-year-old had been charged with one count of common assault following an official complaint made by Tony Abbott.

He was granted bail to appear in Hobart Magistrates Court on October 23.

Mr Abbott claims he was headbutted by a same-sex marriage campaigner while walking in Hobart today.

He told Steve Price and Andrew Bolt on 3AW Nights that he was subjected to the “Liverpool kiss” by a man wearing a ‘Vote Yes’ badge.

His only injury was a swollen lip, the ‘No’-voting backbencher said.

“A fellow sung out at me ‘Hey Tony’, I turned around, there was a chap wearing a ‘Vote Yes” badge,” Mr Abbott alleged.

“He said ‘I wanna shake your hand’.

“I went over to shake his hand, and then he headbutted me.

“He wasn’t very good at it, I’ve got to say, but he did make contact.

“The only damage was a very, very slightly swollen lip.

“I was with a member of my staff, the member of my staff briefly grappled with this guy.

“He then ran off swearing his head off, basically.”

Click PLAY to hear more from Tony Abbott with Steve Price and Andrew Bolt