Pyne blasts 'cowardly' comments on Bishop

Senior federal Liberal figure Christopher Pyne has taken aim at "cowardly" colleagues anonymously saying former Speaker Bronwyn Bishop should quit parliament at the next election.

Mr Pyne hopes Mrs Bishop will confirm reports she intends running again for the safe northern Sydney beaches seat seat of Mackellar, despite Prime Minister Tony Abbott suggesting her parliamentary career was substantially at an end.

"If any of my colleagues want to give Bronwyn that advice they should do it to her face or they should put their name to it in the papers," he told ABC radio.