Updated October 26, 2018 15:09:28

Photo: Nigel Scullion said a number of people phoned him expressing "delight" at Mr Abbott's appointment. (ABC News: Mark Moore)

Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion says he first heard about Tony Abbott's special envoy role through media speculation — and not from Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Mr Abbott was handed the position of special envoy in Indigenous affairs in late August after being snubbed for Mr Morrison's ministry.

"No, I wasn't aware that he was going to be appointed," Senator Scullion told a Senate committee.

"It was in the media that there was some sort of an offer to be made ... then it was in the media that Mr Abbott wasn't going to accept the role.

"I think it was between, it was around that time that I received that call.

"There was speculation over a period of time, so yes I heard about speculation in the media first."

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Mr Abbott will focus on improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander school attendance and visited a number of Northern Territory remote communities last month.

First Peoples' leaders have questioned the appointment of the former PM but Senator Scullion said a number of people had phoned him expressing "delight" at the move.

"I've had a couple saying that we think that's a really good thing that he's particularly in education," he said.

"In terms of my relationship with the mob ... people haven't been ringing me saying this is appalling, this is terrible, what are you doing?"

But asked whether he could point to any media releases from Indigenous organisations celebrating the appointment, Senator Scullion said: "No, I can't."

Senator Scullion said he was "very grateful" that Mr Abbott's role was focusing on schools, saying the pair would try to stop "states and territories walking away from their core responsibilities" in education.

"It's great to have some more resources and assistance from someone really focusing on this area."

Topics: politics-and-government, government-and-politics, political-parties, indigenous-policy, indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander, community-and-society, australia

First posted October 26, 2018 13:41:32