Former foreign minister Alexander Downer has slammed Malcolm Turnbull and Kevin Rudd

Former foreign minister Alexander Downer says the recent behaviour of former Prime Ministers Malcolm Turnbull and Kevin Rudd is because they are bitter.

Attacks on Prime Minister Scott Morrison by Malcolm Turnbull and Kevin Rudd are “mean-spirited” and “bitter” attempts to exact revenge for their own political demise, says former Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer.

In a frank assessment of the criticisms levelled at Mr Morrison by the former PMs over the dumped French submarine deal and other issues, Mr Downer said he believed the past leaders were “playing out some sort of act of vengeance”.

“It looks as though they’re bitter about their own demise from power,” he told Sky News. “It’s what it looks like, (but) they would deny that’s what they’re doing.”

Mr Downer said the attacks were not “dignified” and would not be well received by the Australian public.

Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has been critical of Scott Morrison.

Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says Mr Morrison should apologise to France over the submarine issue. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

“Whatever happened to Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbull in their political careers, they did get to the top, and if they continue to attack their successors in this way … they look sort of mean-spirited and bitter,” he said.

“You’ve been the prime minister, you’ve had your time.”

Mr Downer said it would be “disingenuous” to deny he was disappointed in the comments made by Mr Turnbull at the UN climate summit in Glasgow last week where he endorsed French President Emmanuel Macron’s assessment of Mr Morrison as a “liar”.

Mr Macron claimed he had been lied to about Australia’s intention to cancel a submarine contract worth about $90 billion, which Mr Morrison has strenuously denied.

Mr Turnbull, who fell out with Mr Morrison after losing power to him in a leadership spill in 2018, said the Prime Minister had “lied to me on many occasions … Scott has always had a reputation for telling lies.”

Former foreign minister Alexander Downer says ex-PMs shouldn’t criticise the incumbent. Picture: AAP Image

Mr Downer says Julia Gillard has been a model ex-prime minister. Picture: AAP Image

Mr Rudd also argued Mr Morrison should apologise to the French leader for the way the submarine issue had been handled.

The former leaders have also been vocal in their criticism of Mr Morrison’s net zero by 2050 policy, jointly writing a letter to Pacific leaders before the Glasgow summit to share their “alarm and disappointment” at Australia’s lack of an updated 2030 emissions reduction target.

As Australia’s longest-serving foreign minister, Mr Downer counselled Mr Turnbull and Mr Rudd to instead follow the model by Julia Gillard, John Howard and Robert Menzies in how to conduct themselves post-prime ministership.

“Those three have been models of former prime ministers in getting on with the rest of their lives, grateful that they had the opportunity to serve the nation as prime minister,” he said.

“Julia Gillard got chopped down by her party in the end … and she doesn’t go and attack Kevin Rudd or Scott Morrison or her successors.

“It’s much more dignified not to attack your successors, because it looks better, and I don’t think it convinces the public either.”