A second survey in less than one week and barely a month since the Gillard government started to collect the controversial carbon price of $23 per tonne would put a smile on Prime Minister Julia Gillard's face and a frown on Opposition leader Tony Abbott's.

The report by Nielsen, released Monday and two days short of the one-month mark of the levy, said opposition to the carbon tax has been easing. Similar findings were reported by the Climate Institute last week.

In the Nielsen survey, which had 1,400 respondents, voters who said they are worse off under the carbon tax went down by 13 points to 38 per cent compared to a month ago. Those who said the carbon tax did not affect them at all - which is contrary to the claim of Mr Abbott that life would be harder with the carbon price - went up by 15 points to 52 per cent.

The Nielsen survey dovetails with the finding of the Climate Institute that with more explanation about the carbon tax, more Australians changed their attitude toward the measure. As a result of several weeks on intensive explanation by the Gillard government, the number of Aussies in favour of the carbon tax rose to 47 per cent from 28 per cent. At the same time, those opposed to the tax declined to 29 per cent from 52 per cent.

"Now that the carbon price is in people can test Tony Abbott's deceit against their actual experience and they are finding that Tony Abbott has been deceitful," ABC quoted Climate Change Minister Greg Combet.

As a result of the change in attitude toward the carbon tax, Labor's primary vote slightly went up to 30 per cent by 2 points while the Coalition's went down to 47 per cent by one point.

However, Labor still has a lot of catching up to do since the Nielsen survey said that on a two-party preferred basis, the Opposition leads Labor 56 to 44 per cent. Mr Abbott was selected as preferred prime minister by 48 per cent of the respondents while 43 per cent opted for Ms Gillard.

Even between Ms Gillard and former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, the incumbent is losing the games number because the latter got 60 per cent versus the former's 31 per cent.

Besides the growing acceptance for the carbon tax, the number of complaints against businesses which use the levy to jack up their prices excessively declined to just 45 from 63 a day.

Mr Abbott is banking on his prime ministership bid with the promise to repeal the carbon tax if the Coalition wins in the 2013 election.

RELATED STORIES