Former prime minister Tony Abbott is being accused of damaging Australia's international reputation and his own political credibility in another outbreak of internal coalition infighting.

Key points: Prime ministers are judged on what they've done when in government, Concetta Fierravanti-Wells says

Prime ministers are judged on what they've done when in government, Concetta Fierravanti-Wells says Criticism follows Tony Abbott's comment his Paris Agreement targets were "aspirational"

Criticism follows Tony Abbott's comment his Paris Agreement targets were "aspirational" She calls on Mr Abbott to reflect on his actions for the good of the party

International Development Minister Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, once seen as an ally of Mr Abbott's, says he has performed a "total about-face" on climate policy that is threatening to turn off investors.

"Credibility is a very important commodity in politics," she told PM.

"Any former prime minister will be judged on what they've actually done when they were in government, not on what they say they should have done or could have done subsequently."

The criticism follows Mr Abbott's assertion last week that the Paris Climate Agreement targets he devised as prime minister in 2015 were "aspirational".

Senator Fierravanti-Wells pointed to "categoric" comments Mr Abbott made in 2015 when he announced the "pledge" to reduce emissions by 26 to 28 per cent by 2030.

In September 2015, Mr Abbott said: "Unlike some other countries which make these pledges and don't deliver, Australia does deliver when we make a pledge."

Senator Fierravanti-Wells said those comments showed Mr Abbott's "total about face" for his comments last week.

"To say that it's aspirational and not binding now is in direct contradiction, I think, to what then-Prime Minister Abbott said," she said.

"If Tony didn't think that commitment to the Paris Agreement was such a good thing, well 2015 was the time to have that discussion, 2015 was the time to say that rather than give the sort of iron-clad commitment he made on behalf of Australia in an international environment."

Senator Fierravanti-Wells is now calling on Mr Abbott to reflect on his actions for the good of the party.

"Now we need to work as a team," she said.

"I don't want to see another six years of fiscal vandalism under [Bill] Shorten, [Chris] Bowen and [Jim] Chalmers."