"Sensible governments are not only entitled but, indeed, expected to change when the circumstances change," he told reporters. "I stand by my office, it's a very good office": Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Monday. Credit:Andrew Meares Mr Abbott also defended his office against internal and media criticisms that it was too centralised and it bungled the handling of the GP fee by telling journalists it was dumped, leading to reports that caught even the Prime Minister by surprise. "I was, frankly, a little bit bemused and surprised by [those reports] because that's never been our position," he said. Mr Abbott said the government continued to support the co-payment but would think of alternatives in case the Senate would not approve the $7 fee.

"I stand by my office, it's a very good office, my office is essentially the same office that got us from nowhere to election parity in 2010 and gave us a very strong victory in 2013. Let's not forget where we were as a Coalition and as a party in 2009," he said. Mr Abbott leave his 46-minute press conference in Parliament House on Monday. Credit:Andrew Meares Conceding it had been a "ragged week" for his government, Mr Abbott declared the "buck stops with me". "Obviously I take responsibility for everything in the end. I mean, the buck stops here. That's the way it is in our democracy. The buck stops with the party leader." But Mr Abbott said that, overall, the government was effectively getting its message across to voters and predicted that "over time the public will respond more appreciatively" than they do now.

"I know that appearances do count … what happened last week was more a matter of atmospherics and I think substance always trumps atmospherics," he said. Victorian election Mr Abbott defended his government against criticism from some Victorian Liberals and Nationals that the federal government's decision to raise the fuel tax during the state campaign and float increasing the GST was "unhelpful". Mr Abbott said a "whole range of factors" contributed to the one-term Coalition government in Victoria. "I'm very satisfied that we did what we could to play our part in the prosperity of Victoria," he said

The government has announced a series of backdowns on key policies as it heads into its final parliamentary week of the year. Defence pay Mr Abbott said he would reinstate some allowances that were to be stripped under the government's initial below-inflation pay offer to Defence Force personnel. The offer was met with an angry response from the military, is opposed by Labor and led to the independent senator Jacqui Lambie threatening to vote against all government legislation until a better offer was made. The changes will cost $17 million but come from Defence's existing budget and not the Commonwealth's revenues.

The partial backdown was speculated about in the media on the weekend. Senator Lambie said in response to the media report at the time: "It's all or nothing on the ADF pay deal. I'm not going to take any prisoners. It's time to empty the magazine, fix the bayonets and charge." Higher education Education Minister Christopher Pyne announced compromises to his higher education reforms as the Prime Minister was holding his press conference. Mr Pyne has agreed to lower the cost of student loans as well as a five-year freeze on interest for parents who have completed tertiary studies. The changes will cost the budget approximately $3 billion over four years and it's still unclear whether the changes will be enough to woo the required number of crossbench senators.

Speaking a short time later at the National Press Club, Palmer United Leader Clive Palmer, whose party controls at least two Senate votes, said he was still opposed to the government's changes to the sector. Mr Palmer said: "There are no circumstances that I could foresee [voting for them]". Paid parental leave Mr Abbott also foreshadowed the possibility of the Senate revising his prized $5.5 billion paid parental leave scheme. "What tweaks might possibly occur will depend very much on the course of discussions with the Senate in the Senate, likewise, everything else," he said.

He acknowledged the internal and external "flak" that he continues to receive about the policy. "Do you think if I were to change the paid parental leave scheme that there wouldn't be screams of broken promise? I put it to you collectively," Mr Abbott said to reporters. Loading Follow Latika Bourke on Facebook Follow us on Twitter