RETIRING independent Tony Windsor has likened Kevin Rudd to a dictator and claimed Malcolm Turnbull would win an election by a "country mile" if he was leading the Opposition.

Mr Windsor, who propped up the Gillard Government for nearly three years, has lashed out at Mr Rudd's first stint in the top job, saying he understood why the prime minister was knifed by his colleagues in 2010.

"Leadership is one thing, dictatorship is another," Mr Windsor told ABC's Australian Story.

While predicting Mr Abbott would win the September 7 poll, Mr Windsor took aim at the Opposition leader, saying Mr Turnbull was "a far better operator" to lead middle Australia.

"I quite like Tony Abbott, but I don't think he is the man for the moment." Mr Windsor said.

"If a Malcolm Turnbull was there I think it would be all over in terms of the contest, (he would) win it by a country mile."

"I think Malcolm Turnbull is a far better operater, in terms of where middle Australia is.

"If Malcolm had been the leader of the opposition in a hung parliament, and if he'd been the leader of the opposition at the start of this, he may well have been the prime minister through it.

"It's too late to bring Malcolm back, that's my view, and I think a lot of the right wing in the Liberal Party would cut their arms and legs off before they'd have him back in."

The public was still sceptical of Mr Abbott, he said.

Mr Windsor also claimed former prime minister Julia Gillard had been the victim of a "strategic process" of attacks during her term in office.

"I have never seen male, female or dog treated in the fashion she was treated. I think it was a disgrace," he said.

Speaking of his decision to hand power to Labor after the 2010 election, Mr Windsor claimed Ms Gillard had been a "more stable" personality and Mr Abbott would not have been able to handle a hung parliament.

However fellow independent Bob Katter criticised Mr Windsor for locking in too closely to the ALP during the minority government and was "grieved by his conduct".