A cabinet minister says he met with Tony Abbott to personally vouch for a colleague at risk of being reshuffled out of a job.
Environment Minister Greg Hunt said the meeting followed media reports suggesting a "hit list" had been drawn up ahead of a reshuffle.
On that list was Mr Hunt's parliamentary secretary Bob Baldwin.
Mr Hunt said he reassured Mr Abbott that Mr Baldwin, who appeared at a joint media conference with the minister in Canberra on Monday, had reached an "absolute high water mark in his career".
Mr Hunt said Mr Baldwin's effort in gathering enough public and political support to pass the government's Murray-Darling Basin reforms was more skilled than a "Chinese acrobat spinning plates".
"I know just from talking to the PM over recent days he is so proud of the broad achievement and he's immensely proud of Bob Baldwin and he is really kicking goals in a big way," Mr Hunt said.
The minister rejected the idea of Mr Abbott calling on a spill in the party room on Tuesday to clear the air over leadership speculation.
"It's a ridiculous idea," Mr Hunt said.
Reports the prime minister was losing support in cabinet were "wrong" and he did not blame Mr Turnbull for the instability.
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