Tony Abbott with his chief of staff Peta Credlin. Source: News Limited

Amid reports of growing tensions between his powerful chief of staff Peta Credlin and his senior ministers, Mr Abbott has made it clear he thinks there is at least some sexism at play.

“Do you really think that my chief of staff would be under this kind of criticism if her name was P-E-T-E-R as opposed to P-E-T-A?” Mr Abbott told ABC television.

When asked whether this comment was directed at his colleagues, Mr Abbott said: “I think people need to take a long hard look at themselves with some of these criticisms.”

Some MPs have accused Ms Credlin of micro-managing, with a former key adviser to Defence Minister David Johnson this month accusing the Prime Minister’s office of running Australia’s defence policy by stealth.

There were also reports, which have never been comprehensively denied, that Foreign Minister Julie Bishop “went bananas” after she was told that the Prime Minister’s Office wanted Trade Minister Andrew Robb to “chaperone” her to this week’s climate change negotiations in the Peruvian capital of Lima.

PM Tony Abbott confers with his chief of staff Peta Credlin during Question Time. Source: News Limited

Mr Abbott told ABC that if people had a problem with his office then they should bring the complaints to him.

“This is the same office which ran a very effective opposition, it’s the same office which has got an enormous amount done this year sometimes under very difficult circumstances.”

Mr Abbott was famously criticised for being a misogynist by former prime minister Julia Gillard. At the time Ms Gillard was accused by fellow Liberal MP and current speaker Bronwyn Bishop of using the gender card to ‘play a victim’.

Mr Abbott also said in a speech to the Food and Grocery Council that: “Alas, we have a government which ... tends to play the gender card to try to deflect what is legitimate criticism.”

The fact that Mr Abbott is now calling out sexism has been greeted with disbelief among many Aussies, including his colleages. A Liberal parliamentarian told Fairfax that MPs would not take too kindly being labelled sexists.

“This has all the hallmarks of Julia Gillard’s paranoia,” the source said.

Others questioned why Mr Abbott couldn’t call out sexism:

There has been a number of reports this month suggesting that the working relationship between Ms Credlin and Ms Bishop had broken down.

“They are like two Siamese fighting fish stuck in the same tank,” one frontbencher told The Australian.

RELATED: Bishop v Credlin. Blame Tony Abbott

It’s been speculated that Ms Bishop has shone as foreign minister while Mr Abbott and others in the cabinet have struggled this year, prompting Ms Credlin to want to “clip her wings”.

Now Ms Bishop is believed to have made the decision that she will no longer take orders from Ms Credlin, and she is not the only one.

“It’s not fair to give the appearance it is only Julie who has a problem with Peta — lots of other ministers do as well,” one Liberal MP told The Australian.

But both women have denied suggestions of a rift. “There is no rift between Peta and me. I have never had a cross word with her. The Prime Minister and I are working as a team, I do not covet anybody else’s job,” Ms Bishop said.

However, the tension has fuelled speculation that Ms Credlin, who is married to the Liberal Party’s federal director Brian Loughnane, could leave Mr Abbott’s office and take up a seat in the House of Representatives or Senate at the 2016 election. Ms Credlin has denied she is looking at taking up a seat.

Mr Abbott has been under pressure with opinion polls showing support for him has plummeted. This month he has announced numerous policy backdowns as he attempts to claw back votes.