Tony Abbott pranked first day back on the job

Tony Abbott has been welcomed to the backbench for the first time in two decades with a light-hearted prank by a member of the National Party.

Mr Abbott made his first appearance in parliament as a former prime minister yesterday, almost a month after being deposed by Malcolm Turnbull in a leadership ballot.

Not long after taking his seat alongside former Treasurer Joe Hockey, himself a major casualty in the Turnbull coup, Nationals member Darren Chester sidled up to Mr Abbott holding a slip of paper, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

It was reportedly a membership form to join the National Party, a not-so-subtle jab at his Coalition partners for their brutal knifing of Mr Abbott.

The joke was reportedly well-received by Mr Abbott who enjoyed a laugh at his own expense.

Yesterday's Question Time was the first time Mr Abbott had sat on the backbench since 1996, when he was elevated to Cabinet under John Howard.

Almost two-thirds of voters believe the Liberal Party made the right move in dumping Mr Abbott for Malcolm Turnbull, according to the latest Newspoll.