Liberal senator Cory Bernardi has taken aim at ally Tony Abbott over his censure of "rebellious" colleagues looking to "do a Trump" in Australia, accusing his former leader of "talking up division" and backing "the horse named self-interest".

Mr Abbott took to The Australian newspaper to pen a warning to Liberal colleagues looking to form a breakaway conservative party, predicting it would be a success, but one that would ultimately deliver government to Labor.

The former prime minister did not name Senator Bernardi in his missive, but the backbencher has increasingly been agitating for change, more recently refusing to hose down talk he is looking to form his own movement separate to the Liberal Party next year.

But Senator Bernardi dispensed with any opaqueness, naming Mr Abbott openly in a tweet responding to his opinion piece.