Andrews, who was dumped from cabinet when Turnbull seized the leadership in September, has given a lengthy interview to the Manningham Leader newspaper.

“It has never been my burning ambition to be the leader of the party, but if circumstances arose … where I thought there should be a change or a contest, I am prepared to do it,” Andrews said.

Andrews challenged Julie Bishop for the deputy leadership of the party in September, but lost.

“There wasn’t anything particularly negative about Julie, but she had been deputy leader under Brendan (Nelson), Malcolm and Tony and I thought, ‘Well, there hadn’t really been a contest for the deputy leadership’,” he said.

He considered himself an “intellectual leader” of the conservative side of politics.

Andrews said he would vote against same-sex marriage laws even if a proposed national plebiscite came down in favour of the change.

He said he was disappointed to lose the defence portfolio after being earlier shifted from the social services ministry.

“I felt like I was halfway through doing something,” he said.

AAP