In what will be seen by many as another plank in his pitch to one day reclaim the Liberal leadership, Mr Abbott says he intends to learn from his failings in his "future public life".

The essay, to be published in the May edition of Quadrant, is bad timing for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, with his first budget just 10 days away and the election campaign looming.

Labor is already seeking to make mileage from it, with frontbencher Richard Marles saying Mr Abbott was "hijacking" the government's agenda with his "self-indulgent naval-gazing".

While Mr Abbott stands by his approach to same-sex marriage, climate change, asylum seekers and national security, he admits to failings on economic policy, including his expensive paid parental leave scheme proposal and his decision to abolish the debt ceiling.

However he largely stands by his deeply unpopular 2014 budget, saying there was a "moral purpose" to returning the budget to surplus because it would have allowed the government to create a better society. But he admits the government misjudged the public mood on spending cuts and he accepts responsibility for failing to properly sell the blueprint.

Mr Abbott says his decision to only include one woman - Julie Bishop - in his first cabinet was an "avoidable error". He also admits he misjudged how the public would react to his catastrophic decision to award Prince Philip a knighthood. He also regrets his decision to abandon changes to section 18c of the Racial Discrimination Act.

read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/former-prime-minister-tony-abbott-admits-his-governments-mistakes-20160422-goddm8.html

* Gus understands this is the meaning of nepotism which is shown in the toon...