Cabinet minister Mathias Cormann has again rebuked Tony Abbott, warning him not to help Bill Shorten become prime minister.
And the finance minister is not stepping away from his criticism of Mr Abbott when the pair had a "man-to-man" conversation two months ago.
"Obviously that didn't have any affect," Senator Cormann told Sky News from Washington on Friday.
"I stood by everything I said that day, as I stand by everything I said that day now.
"Tony has got to be very careful that he's not and he's not seen to be helping Bill Shorten becoming prime minister."
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Senator Cormann said some of Mr Abbott's interventions in the past had been "somewhat destructive".
Amid reports Liberal Party elder John Howard could be drafted as peace maker, Senator Cormann said he was a huge admirer of the former prime minister.
"I think that John Howard really has defined the gold standard of how former prime ministers can best make a continuing contribution to public policy debates," he said.
Cabinet colleague Christopher Pyne told the Nine Network he doesn't know and doesn't care if Mr Howard is enlisted.
Mr Abbott went on the attack on Thursday against "self-serving" leakers, following revelations Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had to be drafted in to save his political hide during the 2016 election.
Asked on Friday whether it was annoying to have Mr Abbott interrupting him from the backbench, Mr Turnbull said there were many many potential distractions in his job.
"I look forward to all the members of my party room, all the members on the backbench or the frontbench, working together and getting out there and talking about the success of the government's policies," he told the Seven Network.
Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese said the coalition had stopped governing because of infighting.
"They are just completely dominated by this cage fight between Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull," he said.
