Well, you know the rest.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott has brushed off scurrilous rumors about his intense relationship with former chief of staff Peta Credlin by rattling off a list of his government's policies.

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Abbott was responding to claims made in a book by columnist Niki Savva, "The Long Road To Ruin", which documents the downfall of his prime ministership and a series of curious incidents between the former PM and Credlin.

Among them include an alleged incident in an Italian restaurant which involved Credlin apparently feeding Abbott off her fork and a reported bum slap involving the two.

So in response on Monday he released a statement in peak Abbott-style.

"The best response to this book is the objective record of the Abbott government," read the statement.

"The boats were stopped. The carbon tax and the mining tax were repealed. Three free trade agreements that had languished for years were finalised. Infrastructure got underway, including the western Sydney airport that had been talked about for 50 years. Our country was kept safe. And a strong start was made to the vital task of budget repair."

Abbott finished the statement by writing, "I'm not in the business of raking over old coals nor am I in the business of responding to scurrilous gossip and smear."

Mick Tsikas / AAPIMAGE