Labor accused of vicious attack on Bishop

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has accused Labor of engaging in a campaign to diminish the federal parliament with its attacks on Speaker Bronwyn Bishop.

But Mr Abbott has stopped short of describing the campaign to unseat Ms Bishop from the speaker's chair as sexist.

"The Labor party have been running a real campaign against the speaker," Mr Abbott told Fairfax Radio on Wednesday.

"Now, if the coalition had been running a campaign that was as vicious towards the female Labor speaker as Labor have been towards Bronwyn Bishop, we would have charges of misogyny echoing around the parliament."

Mr Abbott did not accuse Labor of sexism.

"I just think they're being nasty and vicious, and I would invite people to listen to the parliament, look at the way the Labor frontbench are treating the speaker," he said.

"Now, Bronwyn is a pretty tough cookie and she's giving as good as she gets, but certainly I think the Labor party are engaging in a deliberate campaign to diminish our parliament."