"I wish the Labor Party was taking the kind of view that the Howard opposition took back in the 1980s." Asking the tough questions: Karl Stefanovic quizzes Tony Abbott. Credit:Screen grab: Today Show But Stefanovic seized on Mr Abbott's argument. "With respect you were fairly feral in opposition... and isn't he [Labor leader Bill Shorten] just doing what you did and why would he do anything different when it worked for you?" Stefanovic asked. Mr Abbott shot back: "We tried to stop the Labor Party from putting in a carbon tax because a carbon tax was a very bad policy and that is what Bill Shorten wants to give you the people back if he was to win an election."

The PM was then asked about the state of the budget, which Stefanovic described as "a shambles". "No one is buying what you are selling, what you are laying down. That is the problem." Mr Abbott replied: "Karl, I want to stop you there. The budget started to come under control the day the government changed and the day we got a government which was serious about budget repair". Appearing minutes later on Sunrise, Mr Abbott said independent senator Jacqui Lambie's threat to vote against all government legislation in protest against the below-inflation defence force pay offer was a "form of blackmail". Morning television is a popular option for politicians seeking to use the softer platform to sell their message.

A day after admitting he broke his election promise not to cut funding to the ABC and SBS, Mr Abbott hit both high-rating shows to assure voters his government had handled well a range of challenges. "Look at the way we have handled the foreign policy issues like MH17, MH370. Look at the way we have handled the foreign fighters threat, the ISIL death cult threat," he said. Mr Abbott also backed his Treasurer Joe Hockey and said his job was safe. Follow us on Twitter