A "once great political party" had been reduced to "being a political life support system for the Prime Minister."

That was how Opposition Leader Tony Abbott described the ALP leadership spill during question time.

"For your Party and for our country, you should go," Mr Abbott told Julia Gillard.

Deputy Opposition Leader Julie Bishop said Australian people deserved better than the current Prime Minister and her government.

Ms Bishop said it was Ms Gillard's "flop flop" on border security, the recent media bills the ALP tried to pass, the PM's "broken promises" on carbon tax and her poor judgement on the live export of cattle that led to her party losing confidence in their Leader.

"This is a government that is a joke internationally," Ms Bishop said.

The Prime Minister retaliated by saying it was "typical" of the Opposition to resort to "negativity" rather than take the opportunity to discuss their policies.