PM dubs Shorten 'Electricity Bill'

Prime Minister Tony Abbott is demanding Opposition Leader Bill Shorten deliver Australians a Christmas present by helping abolish the carbon tax.

In a withering attack on the new Labor leader, Mr Abbott dubbed Mr Shorten "Electricity Bill", saying he has proved he is capable of changing his mind when he switched support for Labor prime ministers.

"The best Christmas present that Bill Shorten could give the people of Australia would be to stand aside and let the carbon tax repeal legislation pass through the Senate," the prime minister told the Liberal Party's Tasmanian state council in Hobart on Saturday.

Mr Abbott said Labor had the chance to help axe the tax in the final four sitting weeks of parliament for the year.

He said Mr Shorten's failure to do so would mean he was turning his back on voters.

"That's what people will be thinking every time their power bill comes in until the carbon tax goes - that's Electricity Bill who's responsible," Mr Abbott said.

"They call it bill shock - Bill Shock Shorten."

But the prime minister saved his biggest hit to slam Mr Shorten's reputation as one of the "faceless men" who helped remove former PMs Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard.

"We know that he's capable of changing his mind," Mr Abbott said.

"Well Bill, if you can change your mind on your colleagues you can change your mind on something of far more weight for the people of Australia.

"Every day that Bill Shorten refuses to change his mind is another day when the people of Australia ... will conclude that he is more interested in pandering to Greens than he is in listening to the clear, unambiguous verdict of the Australian people."

The prime minister described the tax as "socialism masquerading as environmentalism".

Mr Abbott received a standing ovation from Tasmanian members at the Wrest Point casino.

He urged them to "savour success" after an 11.3 per cent swing in the federal poll, the largest of any state, delivered three new Liberal members.