The belief that many in the Labor Party held - that an Abbott-led opposition would be a political joke - is dead.

Inthe first opinion polls of the year - usually seen as less reliable than normal because they are taken in the holiday season - have had a sharper than usual impact because of the uncertainty created by the Abbott factor, as politics moves into the pre-election phase, The Australian Financial Review reports.

In the Labor Party there is some concern that Abbott could start the parliamentary session with confidence-building polls that show the electorate is more open to his personality and policy ideas than the government expected.