The federal Liberals are being told by their junior coalition partner to pull their heads in and sort out their issues as a poll shows voters are still turning away in droves.

Liberal deputy leader Ted O'Brien conceded it wasn't a good look for the party after a senior frontbencher resigned his post just months after the coalition's worst election defeat in modern history.

"I know it does look messy, but in truth, this is democracy at work," he said on Monday.

"This is the way you get good policy and we're not shy of going into bat and debating policy."

West Australian MP Andrew Hastie sensationally resigned from the shadow cabinet as home affairs spokesman on Friday, saying he had been sidelined on immigration policy and wanted to speak freely from the back bench.

Mr Hastie, who has

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