It may be an unwritten rule, but it's usually a rule nonetheless that of the many ways to get ahead in a workplace, publicly critiquing your boss is not one of them.

However, it's a life lesson not yet learned by one government MP, who has risked raising the ire of Prime Minister Tony Abbott by republishing a report card that graded the leader of his party with just a "D".

Empty: The prime minister's chair. Credit:Melissa Adams

And the same report card gave Opposition Leader Bill Shorten a higher rating, awarding him a "C".