The Assistant Minister was asked at Wednesday night's Border Mail election forum about supporting Mr Dutton in last year's Liberal Party leadership ballot.

"I'm a bit tired of this piling on of my colleague Peter Dutton, I really am," Ms Ley said.

"I went into parliament with Peter, I know him well.

"It's very easy and very convenient to describe the public persona that you see and turn it into some sort of monstrous human being.

"He's in my team, he's my friend.

"He's actually a good person and I'm very proud to say he's a mate of mine."

Ms Ley believes Mr Dutton knows the value of water.

"He and the current prime minister are in the category that gets water," she said.

"Water is the number one issue for my electorate and it always has been and to have champions at the table has always been of vital importance to me."