Prime Minister Tony Abbott's decision to award an Australian knighthood to a British royal has been widely criticised and Mr Coulton admitted he was not particularly keen on the appointment.

He was, however, very pleased to see Air Chief Marshall (retired) Angus Houston given Australia's highest honour.

"I'm not too sure of all the process involved [with handing out knighthoods] but I think Angus Houston is a very good choice," Mr Coulton said.

"But I don't think Prince Philip would have been top of my list if I was the one choosing."

While Mr Coulton's views differ from the Prime Minister on dignitary honours, the Parkes MP said he fully supported Mr Abbott as Coalition leader.

"I'm frustrated to hear these whispers [in the media]. I think Tony has done a great job after inheriting some very difficult circumstances from the previous government," he said.

Any questions being posed by Liberal backbenchers were because of the difficulties the Coalition had in 2014 and the downturn in popularity for the government, Mr Coulton said.

He said suggestions Mr Abbott had until the end of the year to improve the government's performance might not be far from the truth. However he cautioned against a change of leader in a bid to start winning polls.

"I think that might be fair comment," he said of comment in the Sydney media about a 12-month timeframe for Mr Abbott to turn it around.

"Popularity goes up and down, all governments experience it at times. John Howard did badly in the polls in his early years as Prime Minister and lost a few seats at the next election but people's opinion of him changed.

"Politics isn't a popularity contest. Sometimes decisions have to be made that won't be popular but the government's job is to explain to the Australian public why it is making those decisions."

With an election due in 2016, Mr Coulton said the government would have to lift its performance and prove it deserved another term.