Malcolm Turnbull said he does not focus on his approval ratings as PM and instead is focused on leading the country. Courtesy: ABC/7:30

Turnbull: 'I take no notice of it'

MALCOLM Turnbull has defended himself against poor polling and denied he’s exaggerating about Labor’s “war on jobs” in his first long-form interview of the campaign.

The Prime Minister spent most of his 20-minute spot with 7.30 presenter Leigh Sales talking up his record as a good economic manager.

But the pair did find themselves in a bizarre exchange when Sales asked whether his party would have knifed Tony Abbott had they known his opinion polling would fall 50 points before election day.

Mr Turnbull repeatedly said he was not interested in polling or navel-gazing.

Asked why he thought voters had been excited to see him get the job, but had since become disillusioned, he said: “All I can say is my commitment is to ensure that we are able to take advantage of these extraordinary times.”

He went on to say that he had “noted the polling but I take no notice of it, truthfully”.

Instead, he was focused on doing his job as Prime Minister.

He invited Sales to quiz him on why Australians didn’t like him anymore, but when she did, he said he would not be drawn on the matter.

“Leigh, I’m not going to be drawn on that kind of introspection. My job is to focus on the needs of Australians, other people,” he said.

They also clashed over emotive language the Government are using to describe Labor’s “war on jobs”, which Sales labelled an exaggeration.

“I’m not exaggerating,” he said

“They are standing in the way (of jobs) and I assume they want to do what they are doing.

“I assume they’re not standing in the way accidentally or out of thoughtlessness.”

Mr Turnbull is a favourite on 7.30, having been interviewed a string of times there since becoming leader last year.

And the pair appear to be fans of one another, with Sales telling Julia Zemiro’s Home Delivery program that the PM “has got a lovely voice”.

Commentator Niki Savva reported in her book, The Road to Ruin, that Mr Turnbull once described Sales as “one of the most beautiful women on television”.

His staff have previously noted he prefers long-from interviews that give him the opportunity to flesh out his arguments.