Tony Abbott still says the carbon pricing scheme will hurt from day one, but will be more like a "python squeeze". Picture: Kym Smith Source: The Daily Telegraph

TONY Abbott has changed his attack on carbon pricing from warning of instant doom on July 1 to forecasting a long, slow strangulation of industry.

But he has given no sign he wants to change his personal performance despite opinion polls showing many voters are unimpressed by him.

"It's going to be a python squeeze rather than a cobra strike," the Opposition Leader said of carbon pricing on the Gold Coast.

"But it is going to hurt from day one. And as time goes by it's just going to get worse and worse and worse."

Mr Abbott made the change in attack after previously suggesting that steel and mining towns would be closed by the carbon pricing scheme - which penalises major pollution emitters - when it begins in 26 days.

That was always unlikely to happen and the Opposition could have been embarrassed when its claims of immediate job losses did not come true.

But Mr Abbott did not let up on the force of his attacks.

"What we are faced with at the moment is the most incompetent government in our history trying to administer the most complex tax in our history," he said.

"Is it any wonder Australians are worried?"

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Abbott says carbon tax more 'python than cobra'