Former prime minister Tony Abbott has not ruled out a crack at getting back onto the frontbench and a push for party leader if he retains his seat of Warringah at the federal election next year.

"I don't rule any of those things out," Mr Abbott told The Australian newspaper.

"I'm 61, which is not old. I'm Australia's best-known backbencher."

Tony Abbott said he is open to another stint as prime minister. (AAP)

Mr Abbott said he was aware of moves within Liberal ranks to use his role in the leadership chaos to oust him, but insisted he had no role to play in former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull's resignation in August.

"Unfortunately, Malcolm was the real author of his demise by, first of all, persisting for too long with the policy he should have known our partyroom was never going to be comfortable with. And second, bunging on a spill motion he didn't have to, which exposed the fragility of his own support."

He also said Prime Minister Scott Morrison had not made his explanation about the leadership change "crystal clear".

Mr Abbott holds the Sydney seat of Warringah by 11.1 per cent but is facing a strong 'anti-Abbott campaign' co-ordinated by grassroots groups and GetUp to oust him from the electorate.

On criticism about his approach to climate change, Mr Abbott said he believed it is significant but not a "first-rank" issue.

Louise Hislop, president of Voices of Warringah - one of the groups working for change in the electorate - said Mr Abbott was "out of touch".

The group uses the Kitchen Table Conversations model, a consultative process from Voices for Indi, where small groups of voters meet to discuss issues and then report their opinions and ideas to a committee.

"In our conversations so far climate change was a top order priority for the people of Warringah," Ms Hislop told AAP.

She said some of the committee have "tried to engage with [Mr Abbott] in the past" but they just don't feel like any notice has been taken.

"When I met with Abbott many years ago about the need to act on climate change he did give me some time but showed no interest in changing his ways. In fact, he's dug in even more since, wanting public funding for new coal-fired power stations," Ms Hislop said.