TONY Abbott has brushed off speculation his leadership is tied to the Canning by-election, declaring the poll is “not about me”.

Campaigning alongside candidate Andrew Hastie, the Prime Minister said the by-election was about local issues and the local candidate and had nothing to do with his hold on the Prime Ministership.

“It’s not about me. It’s about the people of Canning,” Mr Abbott said.

“I stress that this is not about me. I know that people in Canberra will try to make it that way. But as far as the people of Canning are concerned, quite rightly they think it’s about them. And I think it’s about them too.”

However Mr Abbott conceded that if Mr Hastie did lose the by-election there would be blowback.

“Obviously should that eventuate, all sorts of people will say all sorts of things,” Mr Abbott said.

“But I am very confident, very confident that Andrew Hastie is an absolutely outstanding candidate and if the people of Canning are looking for someone who is tough, courageous, single minded, ready to speak out for them, Andrew Hastie is their man.”

It was reported this morning that Julie Bishop told a meeting of Federal Cabinet yesterday that Labor was not pumping as many resources as expected into the electorate because it was hoping Mr Hastie would win.

The Labor Party reportedly wants the Liberals to succeed in the seat so Mr Abbott is not rolled as Prime Minister and they can face off with him at the next federal election.

Mr Abbott said the Liberal party was not being complacent and he fully expected a “Labor blitz” in the last few weeks of the campaign.

“Our absolute expectation is that there will be a Labor blitz in the last few weeks of this campaign because Labor want this seat,” Mr Abbott said.

“I am certainly very hopeful of a Liberal victory. I think that we are doing well but we are not taking anything for granted.”

The last time an electorate changed hands at a by-election after the death of a sitting MP was in 1963.

A by-election is being held in Canning on September 19 after sitting Liberal MP Don Randall unexpectedly died of a heart attack last month.