Prime Minister Tony Abbott considered his close personal friend, The Australian newspaper's Greg Sheridan, for the plum posting of high commissioner to Singapore after the 2013 election.

The possibility of the appointment was tightly held within the highest ranks of the Abbott government, though some senior Department of Foreign Affairs officials became aware of it.

Tony Abbott's address on Monday will be a critical moment to outline his plans for the future. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Fairfax Media has been told that Mr Abbott and Sheridan discussed the position before the election and that it was formally considered by government after the 2013 poll.

But the newspaper's long-serving foreign editor, who has described Mr Abbott as his "best friend" during university days, turned down the job after discussing it with the newspaper's editor-in-chief, Chris Mitchell.