No advice given on ex-ministers' roles

The prime minister's department says it hasn't advised Malcolm Turnbull on whether three retired ministers are complying with ministerial standards in their roles after politics.

Andrew Robb, Ian Macfarlane and Bob Baldwin have taken on new roles that broadly relate to their previous ministerial portfolios, sparking questions from the Labor opposition about whether they are breaching standards in their post-politics careers.

Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet deputy secretary Elizabeth Kelly said no advice had been sought on the three ex-ministers but it was not unusual for prime ministers to personally deal with matters of ministerial standards.