Abbott can turn polls around: Howard

Former prime minister John Howard says Tony Abbott has the "political recovery skills" to come from behind and win the next federal election.

Mr Howard famously clawed back support to win the 1998 and 2001 elections, despite trailing Labor's Kim Beazley in the opinion polls.

Mr Abbott is similarly lagging in the polls, but his former boss is confident he can improve his poor standing with voters.

"What Tony Abbott did in 2010, almost destroying a first-term government ... that was a colossal performance, and of course he won a huge majority last time," Mr Howard told ABC TV.

"I don't doubt for a moment his political recovery skills, and I don't doubt for a moment his overall political skills."

Mr Howard believes there are parallels with his time in the top job, saying voters of his day had decided Mr Beazley didn't stand for anything.

"I don't think Bill Shorten stands for anything, and I think one of the things that will increasingly be put in the spotlight is the policy vacuity of the Labor Party," he said.