John Howard rebukes Tony Abbott over fairness

Former prime minister Bob Hawke and former prime minister John Howard

Former prime minister John Howard has delivered a guarded rebuke to Tony Abbott, saying today's politicians rely too heavily on slogans and declaring Australians will support change and reform so long as they are satisfied it is ''fundamentally fair''.

Describing politics today as less ideological than in his time, the country's second longest-serving prime minister has observed: ''We sometimes lose the capacity to argue the case - we think that it's sufficient that we utter slogans.'

Although Mr Howard, 74, avoided any reference to Mr Abbott or the federal budget, his remarks were seized upon by Opposition Leader Bill Shorten. ''John Howard must be beside himself watching Tony Abbott botch his first budget like this,'' he said.

Mr Howard also bemoaned the ''disease of factionalism'' on both sides of politics and the trend towards politicians ''whose only life experience has been politics''.

The critique came after his predecessor, Bob Hawke, expressed alarm at the quality of debate in the national Parliament and proposed a compact on issues on which there was a broad consensus.

Mr Howard supported the concept, telling both major parties: ''If you're worried about the influence of minor parties, one way of eliminating their influence is for the two major parties to get together on sensible change.''