‘You were fairly feral Mr Abbott’

TODAY Show host Karl Stefanovic tells PM Tony Abbott that 'no-one is buying what he's selling' at the moment. Courtesy: Channel Nine/The TODAY Show

Fairly feral ... Tony Abbott cops tough questions on breakfast television a day after trying to hit the reset button. Picture: Ray Strange/News Corp. Source: News Corp Australia

A DAY after he tried to hit the reset button, Tony Abbott has been asked whether he is worried about being a one-term wonder.

The Prime Minister this morning did the rounds on breakfast television, facing a barrage of questions and criticism that he was "feral" in Opposition.

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Today show host Karl Stefanovic took it up to Mr Abbott, after he said he wished "the Labor Party wasn't in such a feral mood" over helping repair the budget.

"With respect you were fairly feral in Opposition weren't you, I mean the greatest respect by that, and ... why would [Bill Shorten] do anything different when it worked for you?" Stefanovic asked.

One-term wonder ... PM Tony Abbott asked by Karl Stefanovic whether he's worried about being in government for only one term. Picture: Ray Strange/News Corp. Source: News Corp Australia

"The reality is here that the budget position is in a shambles and every day it does get worse," the Channel Nine host went on.

"It's not in a shambles Karl," Mr Abbott hit back.

"No one is buying what you are selling, what you are laying down. That is the problem," Stefanovic replied.

The Prime Minister insisted that the "budget started to come under control the day the government changed".

"Now, I don't pretend that this parliament has been easy for us, not for a second do I pretend this parliament is easy for us, but we have already made substantial changes."

But it didn't end there, with Mr Abbott asked whether he was "worried" that he might be a "one-term wonder".

'No one is buying what you are selling' ... Tony Abbott confronts the tough questions from Karl Stefanovic. Source: Supplied

"Look, I was a member of the Howard government ... and the Howard government didn't look too flash at different times in its first term but it went on to become probably the most successful government in Australia's post war history.

"But my job every day is to discharge the heavy responsibilities, to discharge the job that I have been entrusted with to the best of my ability and to the best of my colleagues' ability and that is exactly what we are doing."

Lowest in five months ... PM's approval rating drops in the latest Newspoll. Picture: Ray Strange/News Corp. Source: News Corp Australia

Stefanovic asked Mr Abbott whether Treasurer Joe Hockey's job was safe after he tried to reset the agenda yesterday.

"Joe's doing a fine job. All of my front bench colleagues are doing a fine job."

"Is his job safe?" he pressed again.

"Of course."

Mr Abbott's appearance coincided with today's Newspoll, published in The Australian, showing his approval rating hitting its lowest point in five months.

When asked about the result, the Prime Minister admitted the "polls aren't so great", but argued "no-one said that the task of budget repair would be easy".

Labor and the government are tied on a primary vote of 37 per cent each, with the Opposition leading eight points on a two-party-preferred basis, leading 54 to 46 per cent.

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