Independent MP Rob Oakeshott has been told to "toughen up" after he announced he would stop attending Coalition meetings because of ongoing personal attacks against him.

Mr Oakeshott told Fairfax Press he felt the Opposition was no longer interested in "wooing" the crossbench MPs and has told Opposition Leader Tony Abbott he "didn't see any point" in attending the meetings until the situation changed.

The Sydney Morning Herald says the "final straw" for Mr Oakeshott came when shadow treasurer Joe Hockey addressed a National Party function in Mr Oakeshott's New South Wales electorate of Lyne on Friday night and said that a vote for an independent is a vote for Labor.

The independents currently attend weekly meetings with both the Government and the Coalition.

The decision deals a blow to Mr Abbott's hopes of persuading Mr Oakeshott and his fellow independent Tony Windsor to abandon their support for the Labor government and switch sides.

But Opposition MP Darren Chester says he has never witnessed any personal attacks against Mr Oakeshott and the independent MP needs to realise politics is "a rough and tumble world".

"You've got to stand up for yourself," he said.

"I've never witnessed any personal attacks directed at Rob, I've seen attacks directed at his policy positions. He needs to toughen up a bit in that regard."

Mr Chester says he is pessimistic about the Coalition's chances of getting the independents onside.

"I think the suggestion they would ever switch sides begins with a 'once upon a time'. I think it's a fairy tale, it would never happen," he said.

"Mr Windsor and Mr Oakeshott have chosen their sides and at the next election the people of their electorates will decide whether that was a good decision or not."

Mr Chester has also issued a warning to Mr Oakeshott over his decision to support Labor on the issue of rural youth allowance, saying his responsibilities are to his electorate and not the Labor Party.

"Rob faces a very real risk of being just seen as a Labor stooge - he seems to vote with the Labor Party almost inevitably," he said.

"Even on the motion on Monday, when he seconded the motion put forward by the Greens, he eventually sided by the Labor party.

"I'd just suggest if he's fair dinkum being independent, he should meet with both sides."