Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott has a "strong interest" in becoming a Cabinet minister again, and Malcolm Turnbull has been urged to make his aspiration a reality.
Catherine McGregor, a close friend of Mr Abbott, has penned an opinion piece in The Daily Telegraph and said unless the rift between the pair is resolved there is a real chance the government could "fragment".
"Every time they take a step forward at the moment there seems to be two steps back," Ms McGregor said.
"They do have an agenda to talk about and yet they keep getting beleaguered by this problem."
"I didn't write it with any ulterior motive I can assure you."
Ms McGregor said it was vital the issue was resolved sooner rather than later and that the Member for Warringah will continue to accept speaking engagements as well as vocalise his views on matters of "public importance".
"He doesn't consider that he's destabilising, he considers he's doing what a backbencher with his seniority and gravitas can do," she said.
The News Corp columnist, who has credited Mr Abbott as a "stalwart friend" through her darkest days, said the former prime minister would not be content sitting on the backbench.
"He didn't pose it as a threat that he would destabilise the government if he wasn't in the Cabinet, all he said was that he would continue to speak on issues he felt strongly about," Ms McGregor said.
"Mr Abbott said to me that were he to come back into the Cabinet, which he would welcome, that he would consider himself bound absolutely by that."
