Ray Hadley turns blowtorch on Tony Abbott live on air

Broadcaster Ray Hadley has slammed Tony Abbott's handling of the Martin Place siege and rated his recent performance as prime minister "a D-minus".

The conservative 2GB radio host, who has previously been one of Mr Abbott's most vocal supporters, delivered the stinging assessment while interviewing him live on air this morning.

"I thought until about a month ago, you were going B-plus, I think you're now a D-minus," Mr Hadley told the prime minister.

Mr Hadley singled out the decision by the Abbott government to go ahead with its mid-year budget update at the height of the fatal Sydney siege on Tuesday.

"I thought that was a really bad call," Mr Hadley said. "We had seventeen people in there whose lives were at risk."

"I carefully considered it and I made the call that the ordinary business of government should go on," Mr Abbott replied.

"Some people thought it was a good call. Obviously some people didn't, and you're in that latter group."

Mr Abbott had earlier said he wouldn't be drawn on rating his performance since becoming prime minister in September 2013.

"If I score myself high, people think I'm full of myself. If I score myself low, people think I'm lacking in self-confidence," Mr Abbott said.

He conceded it had been a "ragged conclusion" to the year for his government but pointed to the abolition of the carbon tax and conclusion of important free trade deals as important milestones.

"I think it has been a year of achievement for our country," Mr Abbott said.

Source: Fairfax Media