- Rate the PM and his ministers: conduct your own performance review
Prime Minister Tony Abbott is reviewing the performance of his frontbench but has backed their first year in government, saying his ministers will be getting either As or A pluses.
Speaking in the Northern Territory on Wednesday, Mr Abbott said it was "perfectly normal" to examine the performance of senior MPs, and 12 months after forming government was an appropriate time to do it.
The comments came after media reports on Wednesday that Mr Abbott was holding one-on-one meetings with ministers to identify poor performers after a difficult post-budget period for the government.
The review comes after a series of gaffes by a number of ministers this year, including Attorney-General George Brandis, Senate leader Eric Abetz and Treasurer Joe Hockey, although as senior government figures they are unlikely to face demotion.
"I think some are getting As and some are getting A pluses, but the fact is this is a competent and trustworthy government which promised that we would stop the boats, that we would scrap the carbon tax, build the roads and get the budget back under control and that's precisely what we're doing," Mr Abbott said.
The Prime Minister said his frontbench was being reviewed against "charter letters" he had sent to all ministers and parliamentary secretaries at the beginning of the government.
"It's a perfectly normal dimension to management that you from time to time review progress with your senior personnel and that's exactly what we're doing now," Mr Abbott said.
While a reshuffle is likely at some stage in the life of the government, some people have predicted it could happen as early as the second year.
A poll published last week to coincide with the end of the Abbott government's first year in office ranked Foreign Minister Julie Bishop the most popular minister.
Ms Bishop overtook Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull in the McNair Ingenuity Research survey of 1004 voters.
Treasurer Joe Hockey was named the least popular member of Mr Abbott's 19-strong cabinet.
Mr Hockey, the third most popular minister in a similar McNair poll taken last December, fell to the bottom of the rankings with an approval rating of 32.2 out of 100.
As well as leading the government's budget charge, Mr Hockey made a gaffe in August when he was trying to prosecute the case for proposed changes to fuel excise.
The Treasurer apologised for his comments about car use by the poor in mid August, while the McNair poll was taken in late August.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten was bewildered by Mr Abbott's remarks.
"Has he really rated them A or A plus?" he said.
"Oh my Lord.
"It sounds like anyone could front up to the Abbott class and get a good mark. I think the government's been a fail when it comes to so many of its election promises."
