Cut Abbott some slack: Cormann

One of Tony Abbott's senior colleagues Mathias Cormann denies the former prime minister is starting to destabilise the government.

A senior colleague denies former leader Tony Abbott is starting to destabilise the government. (AAP)

One of Tony Abbott's senior colleagues believes people should cut the former prime minister some slack.

The deposed Liberal leader took to radio again on Thursday declaring he always knew Malcolm Turnbull didn't want to be somebody else's minister, at the same time as his successor was hosting a mini-economic summit.

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann denied Mr Abbott was starting to destabilise the government, telling ABC radio on Friday: "I think that we all should just cut him a bit of slack".

Cabinet secretary Arthur Sinodinos offered up the advice given to John Howard in 1989 and Mr Turnbull in 2009 when they contemplated whether to leave politics.

"If you feel you've still got a contribution to make to politics, by all means do so," he told Mr Abbott via ABC radio.

"If you leave politics feeling you haven't fulfilled your potential or everything you could have done, that is a worse feeling."