Quizzed further about the higher popularity ratings of Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Malcolm Turnbull, Mr Abbott said he was thrilled to have such strong colleagues.
"One of the reasons why so many members of the team are able to perform so well is because they have got a very good captain," said Mr Abbott, who was visiting a dairy farm in the regional Victorian city of Colac on Friday.
"It takes a good captain to help all the players of a team to excel."
"But I would just say to people, we do not want to become a carbon copy of a bad Labor government, the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd government," Mr Hockey said.