Abbott defends sacking Ruddock as chief whip maintaining he should have known about backbench revolt

Tony Abbott says he should have been more aware of the backbench revolt that nearly cost him the top job.

The prime minister dumped Liberal elder Philip Ruddock as government chief whip on Friday, replacing him with Queensland MP Scott Buchholz.

Tasmanian Andrew Nikolic has also been appointed a government whip in the shake-up, which Mr Abbott said would provide a "deeper and stronger" engagement with coalition backbenchers.

But the decision has been criticised by one Liberal MP, Andrew Laming, who says taking retribution on Mr Ruddock had dashed hopes for healing after Monday's divisive leadership vote.

Defending his overhaul of the whip's office, Mr Abbott said he should have been more aware of the concerns of his backbench.

"I never want to find myself in this position ever again," Mr Abbott said.

"I'm confident that with the whip's team we've got, I will be very much aware of what's going on inside the party."

Former Liberal treasurer Peter Costello doesn't know why Mr Ruddock was sacked.

He said the prime minister didn't need Mr Ruddock to tell him what was being said in the newspapers or what was in the latest Newspoll.

"You knew what was coming here," Mr Costello said.

He said the Liberal Party used to regard Mr Ruddock as a "bit of a hero".

"I still do and I'm not sure what he did wrong," he said.