JULIE Bishop has been grilled over whether the Federal Government can afford tax cuts for battlers in an awkward interview with breakfast television host Karl Stefanovic.

The Today Show host called on the Foreign Affairs Minister to explain Malcolm Turnbull’s revelation overnight that the government was working on tax cuts for middle-income earners.

Prime Minister Turnbull made the announcement yesterday after copping a massive backlash from Labor and the Greens for delaying the next sitting of the House of Representatives for one week while the government is down two MPs due to the citizenship crisis.

“The Australian people aren’t idiots, this is just an empty unfunded promise we can’t possibly afford,” Stefanovic said.

Ms Bishop appeared to sigh as she defended the tax cuts.

“What we want is to ensure that the Australian people can keep more of their hard-earned dollars and we think that our tax rates are too high,” she said, pausing to take a deep breath.

“So we want to have a discussion with the Australian people about the work that we’ve been doing to lower tax rates.”

Stefanovic responded: “That was a big sigh Julie, this is a tough sell for you isn’t it?”

Ms Bishop laughed off the comment, saying “not at all.”

“I was actually thinking of what I was going to say. I wasn’t sighing, believe me.”

media_camera Karl Stefanovic grills Julie Bishop on the Today Show. Picture: Supplied

GOVERNMENT IN TURMOIL

JULIE Bishop has also addressed reports an unnamed Coalition MP is threatening to quit next month in a move which could cost Malcolm Turnbull government.

The Foreign Affairs Minister has urged her colleague, who spoke anonymously to News Corp Australia columnist Andrew Bolt about his decision to quit, to speak to her or the Prime Minister first.

If the MP did carry out his threat, the government would be in an even worse position in the lower house than currently.

Two former MPs — Barnaby Joyce and John Alexander — are already out fighting by-elections after being caught up in the citizenship fiasco.

Even if they were returned on December 2 and December 16, one more MP leaving would cost Mr Turnbull his one-seat majority.

It would be the second Coalition MP to quit this year after former Liberal senator Cory Bernardi left in January to form the Australian Conservatives.

Ms Bishop told Sky News this morning she was not aware of any Coalition MP who wanted to quit but would be “very concerned” if someone felt that way.

media_camera Julie Bishop says she is not aware of any Coalition MP who wants to quit but would be “very concerned” if someone felt that way. Picture: AAP

“If they are thinking that way I would hope that they would come and talk to me or talk to the Prime Minister about their concerns rather than talking to the media,” she said.

“If somebody really is concerned, then come and talk to us. My door is always open.”

The new crisis comes one day after the government took the extraordinary step of delaying the House of Representatives’ next sitting week until December 4, after the December 2 by-election in New England where former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce is expected to be re-elected.

RELATED: What banks can lose in a Royal Commission

media_camera If the MP did quit, it could cost Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull government. Picture: AAP

Labor, the Greens and crossbench MPs have accused Mr Turnbull of using the delay to avoid an embarrassing backbench revolt over a banking Commission of Inquiry or a move to reverse Sunday penalty rate cuts.

The MP is threatening to quit when Parliament resumes in the first week of December unless Malcolm Turnbull is replaced as Prime Minister by a conservative member of the Coalition.

He specifically ruled out backing Ms Bishop to replace Mr Turnbull as Prime Minister.

Asked about the reports, Ms Bishop said: “I can’t begin to speculate what this is about.”

“Nobody has raised that with me,” she said.

Bishop "unaware" of coalition MP wanting to leave the Turnbull gvt Bishop "unaware" of coalition MP wanting to leave the Turnbull gvt

Ms Bishop also defended the decision to delay parliament for a week, saying it was necessary to deal with outstanding citizenship issues.

Meanwhile, Mr Turnbull has told reporters in Sydney this morning the decision was “just common sense”.

It would give the government the time needed to deal with same-sex marriage legislation and any citizenship issues, which he said were the “two major issues” Parliament needed to address before the end of the year.

The delay gives the lower house two extra weeks after the same-sex marriage bill passes the senate.

Originally published as Karl hits out: ‘We aren’t idiots’