Prime Minister Tony Abbott is willing to lift the ban on his frontbenchers appearing on the ABC's Q&A panel show if the program is transferred to the News division.

Q&A has come under intense scrutiny following its decision to allow convicted criminal Zaky Mallah into the live studio audience last month and question a Government frontbencher.

The ABC has admitted that was an "error of judgement" and the show's executive producer, Peter McEvoy, has been issued a formal warning.

Mr Abbott has labelled the decision "unacceptable and indefensible", and has banned Government frontbenchers from appearing on the program while an external review is being carried out.

Government MPs have also accused Q&A of having a left-wing bias, with Mr Abbott describing the show as a "lefty lynch mob" during a recent partyroom meeting.

ABC chairman James Spigelman has written to Mr Abbott suggesting the option of moving Q&A from the Television division into News and Current Affairs

"One of the options under active consideration is to transfer the program to the News division, I see merit in this proposal," Mr Spigelman wrote to the Prime Minister.

The ABC's editorial policies say staff in all divisions must not take an editorial stand in programming and should be balanced in the treatment of stories.

That policy is not affected by whether a program sits in the Television division or the News division.

Mr Abbott has responded with his own letter.

"Frontbenchers look forward to resuming their participation on Q&A once this move takes place," he wrote.



Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull is scheduled to appear on Monday night, but the proposal to move the program will not be considered until the next ABC board meeting, which is not due until the start of next month.

Mr Turnbull's office said he would abide by the Prime Minister's edict not to appear on the program in the meantime.

He will, however, conduct an interview on Monday night on the ABC's 7.30 program.

Labor has accused the Prime Minister of a "desperate" move to stop Mr Turnbull from appearing on Q&A.

"There's little doubt Tony Abbott cut this quiet deal with Malcolm to keep him and his leather jacket away from the Q&A studio next week," Labor spokeswoman Michelle Rowland said.

She also accused Mr Abbott of attempting to interfere in ABC management issues and trying to "bully" the ABC.

The external review, commissioned by the ABC before the program featured Mr Mallah, will ultimately consider the "impartiality and diversity" of Q&A and address long-standing complaints about the program, including claims that the mix of audience members is often tipped in favour of Labor and Greens voters.

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