Federal government ministers have been given the green light by Prime Minister Tony Abbott to appear on the ABC program Q&A again, with Assistant Treasurer Josh Frydenberg the first minister to join the panel since the ban was lifted.

Mr Abbott imposed the blanket ban on Coalition frontbenchers appearing on the show after the controversial appearance of convicted criminal Zaky Mallah in June.

But after the ABC board decided on Thursday to shift the show to its news division, Mr Abbott said he was pleased that the national broadcaster's board had accepted exactly what the government had sought.

"At last we've seen a bit of common sense after the notorious Q&A program of some weeks back," Mr Abbott told reporters in Hobart.