Malcolm Turnbull insists he won't be distracted by polls, personalities or politics, as Labor called for the scalps of the attorney-general and a key crossbench supporter.
The prime minister's comment came as the latest Newspoll kept Labor in a 52-48 lead over the coalition and his satisfaction rating sank to 29 per cent - a point below Tony Abbott's ranking before being toppled 13 months ago.
As federal cabinet met in Brisbane on Tuesday, the opposition stepped up its call for George Brandis to resign over his spat with Solicitor-General Justin Gleeson, who has signalled he'll quit next month.
Labor also called for Family First senator Bob Day, whose housing group has gone into liquidation, to immediately quit his South Australian seat before he has a chance to vote on laws to bring back the building industry watchdog.
Mr Turnbull referred to the Brisbane Liberal mayor Graham Quirk as he fended off criticism of his government being in crisis.
"They've not been driven by ideology. They've not been distracted by politics. They've not been distracted by personalities. They've not been distracted by polls," Mr Turnbull said.
"They've got on with the job of delivering for the people of Brisbane. That's what good governments do. That's what my government is doing."
Mr Turnbull said the solicitor-general had done the right thing in resigning.
However, Labor says Senator Brandis should be sacked and an independent process set up to replace Mr Gleeson.
"Make no mistake, George Brandis brought about the circumstances in which the Solicitor-General Justin Gleeson has felt obliged to resign - it is a sad and unnecessary resignation," Labor shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus said.
The prime minister said part of his government getting on with the job was restoring the Australian Building and Construction Commission.
With Senator Day providing a key vote on the bill, the federal opposition and the Greens say he should immediately resign to focus on the fallout from the liquidation of his Home Australia group, which owes at least $12.5 million and has left more than 200 families with incomplete homes.
"He should have resigned immediately," Greens leader Richard Di Natale told AAP.
"I call on the government to refuse to do any deals with Senator Day and to request he resign from office immediately, so that he can focus on the many families who are now experiencing financial hardship."
Crossbench senator Nick Xenophon said Senator Day was entitled to stay in parliament for as long as he wished, but he encouraged his colleague to amend the ABCC bill to improve security of payment protections and mandate Australian standards for building products.
"Unless the government gets the support of me and my colleagues the ABCC legislation won't get through," he said.
Labor leader Bill Shorten, who was in Perth on Tuesday, said Mr Turnbull was "caught up in defending his own job" rather than focusing on the things that matter.
"You don't need an opinion poll to know that Malcolm Turnbull is out of touch."
