Abbott hits back at travel spending claims

Former prime minister Tony Abbott says an insider hatchet job is behind revelations about his travel spending and that he was "somehow ripping off" taxpayers.

Mr Abbott spent almost $74,000 on domestic flights last year - nearly double the average of all MPs, but he said travelled a lot to campaign for colleagues during the election.

"Is it any wonder the government has trouble getting its message across when its members play these sorts of nasty games?" he said in a letter to the Herald Sun.