Former prime minister Tony Abbott has defended himself for being drunk and incapacitated on the job in 2009, while slamming welfare recipients for blowing taxpayers' money on booze.

Mr Abbott, who admitted to passing out in his office and missing key votes following a rowdy dinner while in opposition, said his drinking binge paled in comparison to Labor's profligate spending.

"I was sober in the morning. But our country is still dealing with the debt and debt hangover of the former Labor government's spending binge," he told 2UE radio on Saturday.

"That's what we should be focused on, not the fact that Peter Costello, Kevin Andrews and I had three or four bottles of wine over dinner."