Tony Abbott’s swipe at Malcolm Turnbull’s decision to quit Parliament

Abbott says Turnbull’s surprise decision to call a leadership spill sparked the chaos that led to his demise as prime minister.

“When I’m part of the team I am an absolute team player.” Picture: AAP

Tony Abbott says Malcolm Turnbull’s surprise decision to spill the leadership of the Liberal Party last week sparked the chaos that led to his demise as prime minister.

Speaking tonight in Perth, Mr Abbott also took a subtle swipe at Mr Turnbull’s decision to quit parliament, triggering a by-election in his seat of Wentworth.

“I always suspected that the instant he didn't have the top job he’d want to go,” he told radio station 6PR.

“He certainly wouldn’t be the first prime minister to do that. Paul Keating didn’t hang around, Bob Hawke didn’t hang around.”

Mr Abbott, who is attending a Liberal Party fundraiser, said questions about the reasons for last week’s leadership change were best directed to Mr Turnbull.

“The last thing I expected when I sat down in the party room on Tuesday morning was for the prime minister to suddenly declare a spill,” he said.

“Yes, I’d been a critic of the so-called national energy guarantee because I want power prices going up not down (sic) and that means less renewable power and lower emissions targets.

“None of us really wanted to change the leader but all of a sudden he spilled his own position and that set in train a whole series of events and, presto, we’ve got a new prime minister.”

Mr Abbott said he believed the government was in a much better position now than a week ago, describing new Prime Minister Scott Morrison as a “man of the Liberal Party” with strong political judgment.

He said he was still weighing up Mr Morrison’s “olive branch” offer to take up the role of special envoy for indigenous Australia

“I’m still talking to Scott about what it might involve. But as long as I can be useful I will be.

“When I’m part of the team I am an absolute team player.”