Senator slammed over insensitive tweet just hours after Rebecca Wilson's death

An Australian senator has been slammed over his "insensitive" tweet just hours after the death of legendary sports journalist Rebecca Wilson.

After a long fight with breast cancer, the award-winning Rebecca Wilson, passed away with her family by her side in the early hours of Friday morning.

Senator David Leyonhjelm has been slammed for his tweet about Ms Wilson's death.

With much of Australia still learning of the 54-year-old's death, Liberal Democrat Senator David Leyonhjlem wasted no time to speak his mind.

"Doubt there'll be many #WSW (Western Sydney Wanderers) fans at Rebecca Wilson's funeral #innocentlivesdamaged," he tweeted, in response to an article Mrs Wilson wrote during her decorated career.

The senator refused to retract his controversial comments.

The public uproar that followed was prompt and aggressive, yet not enough to warrant a retraction from the senator.

Rebecca had a long fight with breast cancer. Image: Daily Telegraph

"Shame on you senator, you mightn't have agreed with Rebecca Wilson but with her death so fresh show some human decency," Fairfax investigative journalist Kate McClymont said.

"Resign from the Senate," Victorian state Attorney-General Martin Pakula said.

His tweet was labelled as "insensitive", with one politician telling him to resign from the senate. Photo: Dailymail.

Despite the backlash from members of the public, journalists and political figures, Senator Leyonhjelm's statement of reply made no attempt to apologise for the comments.

"Rebecca Wilson wrote a story in the Sunday Telegraph in 2015 in which she purported to name and shame fans of the Western Sydney Wanderers who she claimed had been banned by the Football Federation for loutish behaviour," Senator Leyonhjelm wrote.

"This was accompanied by photographs of the individuals. In fact, some of the people named had never been banned, some had been banned on spurious grounds, and some were under 18 and should never have been named even if they had been legitimately banned.

"If you think that’s offensive, you need to get out more. I stand by my tweet. Furthermore, death does not suddenly absolve us of what we did when we were alive."

Rebecca Wilson passed away at her family home in the early hours of Friday after a long health battle, her husband John Hartigan and sons Tom and Will said in a joint statement.

"Courage has always been a significant part of her DNA, no less in her desperate battle against her insidious disease," the family said.

"Rebecca kept knowledge of her illness a closely guarded secret.

She is pictured here with her husband John Hartigan. Photo: Getty

"The majority of her friends, colleagues and indeed members of her family were unaware of the extent of her illness.

"She did so to limit their suffering."

The family said Wilson was a fearless sports journalist who made them proud.

"She brushed aside evil trolls, bullies and organised crime figures to prosecute her craft."

"She proved that women had an equally important role in sports journalism as her male counterparts."