Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says Tony Abbott has every right to speak his mind about issues such as the delivery timetable for Australia's new submarine fleet.
But he called out his predecessor's "flabbergasted" criticism of a supposed delay, insisting the expert advice to government had been consistent since 2013.
Mr Abbott's comments had been contradicted by the defence force chief and head of the defence department, Mr Turnbull told reporters on the NSW Central Coast on Friday.
"I respect Tony's right to speak his mind and he should continue to do so, but it's very important that as prime minister I set the record straight," he said.
"We rely exclusively on the expert advice of the Defence Department and, of course, the defence forces and their two leaders have made the facts very, very clear."
Mr Abbott had suggested the government's white paper had pushed out the delivery date for the yet-to-be-ordered subs from 2026 to past 2030.
But Defence Department secretary Dennis Richardson told a senate hearing the blueprint had not delayed the arrival of the first new submarine.
The consistent advice had been that the risk of bringing forward or rushing the future submarines project would outweigh any risk involved in extending the life of the existing Collins fleet.
"You rush a project like that at your own peril," he said.
Former defence minister David Johnston also insisted there was no delayed delivery timetable.
Mr Abbott's intervention has not gone well with his colleagues, says Howard government defence minister Peter Reith.
"I don't think there is any doubt that Tony's remarks were a classic case of deliberate destabilisation," he said.
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