Former prime minister Tony Abbott has shrugged off an opinion poll showing most Australians believe he should retire from parliament.
The Australia Institute-commissioned poll of 1412 people found 63.4 per cent of Australians surveyed want Mr Abbott to leave politics.
Only 26.3 per cent wanted him to stay.
The poll found 57.6 per cent of people either agreed or strongly agreed that Mr Abbott was only sticking around because he wanted another crack at being prime minister.
At the start of the annual Pollie Pedal charity bike ride fundraiser for Carers Australia in Canberra on Sunday, Mr Abbott told reporters his focus was on helping carers, who he considers "uncanonised saints".
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull indicated he is not about to offer Mr Abbott a cabinet position, nor is he distracted by any comments the former leader might make.
Mr Turnbull said renewal is very important in politics.
"I've brought a lot of new talent into the cabinet, I've brought a lot more women into the cabinet and that's the process I expect to continue in the future," Mr Turnbull told Sky News on Sunday.
He said he is "utterly undistracted" by the views of Mr Abbott, while adding that he expects all members and candidates to be supportive and disciplined.
"It's a team business ... the choice is between me and Bill Shorten," he said.
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