During an address to the Queensland Chamber of Commerce in Brisbane on Wednesday morning, Tony Abbott managed to slip in a mention of his nightly viewing favourite, Downton Abbey.

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The Prime Minister has spoken in the past about his love for the British period drama, saying his favourite character is family matriarch Violet Crawley (played by Maggie Smith).

Mr Abbott’s little plug got us thinking – what do the rest of our pollies like to watch in their limited downtime?

Julie Bishop

According to Ms Bishop’s office, the Foreign Minister is a fan of political comedy series Veep.

With its sassy female lead, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and its focus on the intricacies of foreign policy, Ms Bishop’s choice makes perfect sense.

Julie Bishop and Selina Meyer make a formidable force. Digitally altered image.

Christopher Pyne

Mr Pyne’s office told The New Daily his favourite show is David Attenborough’s Life on Earth, a 13-episode nature documentary series first broadcast on the BBC in 1979.

True to his role as Education Minister, Mr Pyne probably enjoys the show for its informative retelling of the history of evolution. And perhaps all the wild animals remind him of parliament.

Christopher likes to get out among the Pyne trees with David. Digitally altered image.

Adam Bandt

The Greens’ Federal Member for Melbourne told The New Daily he has a few favourite shows to watch, depending on his mood.

“I’ll rewatch Arrested Development when I need something witty, The Sopranos to remember how good TV can be and MasterChef to just tune out,” Mr Bandt said.

Can you spot Adam among his Arrested family? Digitally altered image.

Bill Shorten

The Labor leader told Buzzfeed he’s a big fan of HBO series The Newsroom.

“I love The Newsroom because it really paints how the media is,” he said.

“I love the idea of a media team wrestling with an ethical issue on the fly.

“I’m also a huge fan of Aaron Sorkin scripts,” he revealed.

Aaron Shorten? Is that you? Digitally altered image.

Joe Hockey

Despite imposing a Netflix tax, the Treasurer is a subscriber to the video-on-demand service and an avid House of Cards fan.

When asked by Buzzfeed whether he prefers Claire or Frank Underwood, Mr Hockey said he felt a “bit torn” about Claire.

“You know, she’s party to a very machiavellian, quite an evil character,” he reasoned.

“Frank Underwood’s quite an evil character.”

Joe’s not afraid to face off with a power couple. Digitally altered image.

Julia Gillard

It’s no secret the former PM loves the bloodbath fantasy series Game of Thrones. She’s even written recaps of the show for The Guardian.

But who does she want to claim the throne?

“I am barracking for the Khaleesi, the mother of dragons,” she told The Guardian.

No one is safe in the Game of Gillard. Digitally altered image.

Scott Ludlam

During a Reddit ‘Ask Me Anything’ session late last year, the Co-Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens was asked what his favourite television universe was.

“Firefly. The one, and only Firefly. Because it’s perfect,” he responded, referring to the popular sci-fi series from the early 2000s.

Scott is right at home in a sci-fi setting. Digitally altered image.