Dr Hewson told the Herald Mr Abbott needed to work on his image if he was going to topple Kevin Rudd.

“He’s not a policy-driven person; he sees politics as a game - you say or do whatever you have to win, and if you have to change your view, you do. His strategy is to be provocative, to be in people’s faces,” Dr Hewson said.

“He throws a bomb and then he moves on, or if it blows up too badly, he apologises ... He’s going to have to stop that if he wants to win, if he wants to look like an alternative prime minister.”

When the comments were put to Mr Abbott at Mittagong RSL during the Pollie Pedal ride on Wednesday, he played the diplomat.

“I very much appreciated the opportunity that I was given by John to work for him back in 1990 and I respect him,” he said.

“In many ways I admire him and I learnt from him and I suppose I look forward to continuing to have a cordial friendship with him.”

But Mr Schultz, who hosted Mr Abbott at a fundraising cocktail party in Goulburn on Tuesday night, and had remained quiet during the interview, stepped into land a heavy blow against Dr Hewson.

“It’s interesting, isn’t it, that the people who have failed the Australian people in the past or failed as leaders of the Liberal Party are always in the process of criticising current leaders of the Liberal Party,” he said.

“He should do as Malcolm Fraser should does, remain in the background, be the private citizen and let the politics be given to the people who are elected by their rank and file members to do the politics.”

Mr Abbott wouldn’t bite on whether he thought the comments were a fair assessment.

“John’s a private citizen now. He’s entitled to his view and I respect him. I don’t always agree with him, but I respect him.”

Dr Hewson told the Southern Highland News he and Tony talked regularly and there was no bad blood.

“He [Schultz] would say that wouldn’t he. These days I make part of my living as a journalist and commentator. I am paid to call it the way I see it,” he said.

“I have the experience to be relevant. In many respects I have a high regard for Tony.”

Mr Abbott was Dr Hewson’s media adviser and speechwriter from 1990-93.

In 1992 Dr Hewson caused a huge stir when he said, in a set speech, that it was “always easy to tell the rented houses; they’re the ones where the lawn isn’t mowed ... and the fences aren’t fixed”.

Hewson takes responsibility for saying the line, but revealed Mr Abbott wrote it.

John Hewson writes a weekly column on page 2 of Friday’s News.