Turnbull popular in electorate: minister

One of the Abbott backers still in cabinet has suggested the coalition would have performed better if it went to an election earlier in the year.

But Resources Minister Josh Frydenberg says Malcolm Turnbull remains a popular figure in the broader public, despite the swing against the coalition in the federal election.

"We went up in the polls significantly earlier this year (but the) election wasn't called," he told ABC TV.