John Howard, the architect of Tony Abbott's rise and in part his departure, has urged Malcolm Turnbull to strike a balance between conservatism and socially progressive Liberal values.
Mr Howard, a long-time political mentor to Mr Abbott, reflected on Tuesday that he never envisaged when he persuaded Mr Turnbull in 2010 to stay in politics that it would inexorably lead to another contest between the two for the leadership of the Liberal Party.
He said he spoke to both men on Tuesday morning, but refused to say if he had offered any advice before Mr Turnbull's successful late-night challenge on Monday.
He conceded, however, that Mr Abbott's poor polling "had become entrenched".
He also said he had little doubt Mr Turnbull would understand, as Mr Abbott did, that "the Liberal Party is a broad church".
"It's a centre right party. It brings together two streams of the Australian polity," he said.
"It is the custodian of both conservative values and also small-l liberal values.
"And it does best when it keeps a sensible balance between those two, reflected not only in the personnel of the government but also in the attitude that it takes."
He said he had given Mr Abbott "quite a bit of advice over the last few years" and the same offer would be made to Mr Turnbull.
"He's a person of great intelligence," he said of the member for Wentworth.
"He has the capacity to explain economic concepts very clearly and very lucidly and that, as he indicated yesterday, will be an important part of the skill set that he brings to his new responsibilities."
Mr Turnbull announced he was quitting politics in April 2010 after being toppled by Mr Abbott as opposition leader the previous December, but changed his mind two months later.
"It is certainly the case that I urged (Mr Turnbull) not to go," Mr Howard said, paying tribute to both men.
"I think it was the right decision, but I didn't have in mind then that he might come back as party leader.
"I just operated on the principle one of the best things a former leader can do is to encourage people of talent and merit and ability to either enter politics or stay in politics.
"Whatever I may have thought about a contest between him and Tony Abbott, I was absolutely convinced Malcolm Turnbull had a good intellect, he could argue a case very well and he probably wouldn't be happy going back into banking and making money; that it would be far better for him to stay in public life."
Mr Howard said Mr Abbott had "an enormous amount to be proud of and there is much in his record" both as opposition leader and prime minister.
He said he achieved a great deal in budget repair, removing the mining tax and the carbon tax and border protection.
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