Prime Minister Tony Abbott says the vitriol he has faced since last month’s budget has been hurtful but hasn’t distracted him from his job.

“I don’t dwell on it,” Mr Abbott said of the public criticism and plunging approval ratings that followed his government’s austere budget.

“I accept that one of the penalties of being in public life is that you will be unfairly criticised by people who don’t know you,” he said.

Protesters objecting to the government’s proposed changes to university funding have worn `f*** you Abbott’ T-shirts, while US newspaper The Washington Post said that Mr Abbott was “quickly becoming one of the world’s most hated prime ministers” just nine months into the job.

“I don’t pretend for a second that people have been cheering in the streets because it’s a tough budget,” Mr Abbott said.

RT @e2mq173: Abbott wearing a lovely tie today. Misogyny blue if I’m not mistaken #auspol pic.twitter.com/LBxeQJtBFN

— Winker Tiny Abbitt (@geeksrulz) June 1, 2014

By way of comparison, Mr Abbott said former Liberal prime minister John Howard was “widely and ferociously criticised” during his 11-year reign but that people now admire aspects of his premiership.

The prime minister’s family has also come under the spotlight, with wife Margie Abbott’s level of charity work questioned.

Daughter Frances Abbott’s three year scholarship to a private design college has also made headlines.

“Of course this is hurtful and upsetting; that’s why people do it,” Mr Abbott said.

“The important thing is to be as protective as you can be for your family but get on with the job and that’s what I’m utterly focused on.”

Such criticism should have no place in politics “but sadly there are some people who don’t play fair”.