Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says his Government deserves to get a "whacking" from voters in the next round of opinion polls.

A poll of New South Wales voters in Sunday's Fairfax newspapers shows the Coalition is equal with Labor on a two-party preferred basis.

However, Mr Rudd remains the preferred prime minister at 53 per cent compared to Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's 40 per cent.

The Government is dealing with a series of political problems.

Its home insulation program has been scrapped, its climate change policy is on hold and it is being criticised for delaying its response to major reviews of the health and taxation systems.

Mr Rudd says voters are making their frustration clear.

"I'm sure we'll take an even bigger whacking in the period ahead and the bottom line is I think we deserve it," he said.

"We are taking a pounding because we haven't been up to the mark so far.

"We are proud of what we have done on the economy last year in the face of everything happening around the world, but we are facing a different benchmark now."

Mr Rudd told the ABC1's Insiders program that the Government needs to lift its game.

"I think people are becoming disappointed at the pace of the delivery of the commitments that we have made," he said.

"We ain't walking away from it one bit. There has been a delay and I've been blamed for that, criticised for that - fair cop."

Boost for Abbott

Mr Abbott has told Channel 10 he is encouraged by recent polls.

"People are starting to figure out that the Prime Minister is all talk and no action," he said.

But he says the Coalition has a long way to go to win government.

"I'm not making too much of this poll," he told Channel Ten.

"Yes, it's a bit encouraging but there is a lot of work for the Coalition to do."

Botched scheme

Mr Abbott has promised to continue to pursue Mr Rudd over his role in the botched home insulation scheme.

He says Mr Rudd still has questions to answer.

"In the end it's Kevin Rudd who is responsible for this," Mr Abbott said.

"He is responsible for a disastrous program, perhaps the worst administrative disaster in modern Australian history, and he can't even sack a minister properly."

Environment Minister Peter Garrett was demoted on Friday after the now-axed $2.45 billion home insulation program he oversaw was linked to four deaths and 93 house fires.

Mr Rudd acknowledges the scheme failed on Mr Garrett's watch, but says the Environment Minister's new portfolio responsibilities reflect his strengths.

"There have been real problems with the implementation of this program. There have been real problems with compliance," he said.

"The minister has had those responsibilities removed from him."

As environment protection minister, Mr Rudd says Mr Garrett will continue to act on issues like Queensland's Traveston Dam proposal and the Gunns pulp mill in Tasmania.

"These are areas where his impartiality has never been questioned, his diligence has never been questioned and his effectiveness has never been questioned," he said.