The poison within the Labor Party won't disappear no matter who wins Monday's federal leadership ballot, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says.

Mr Abbott has told reporters in Melbourne neither Prime Minister Julia Gillard nor her predecessor Kevin Rudd can give Australia a stable government.

"It's absolutely crystal clear from the hatreds that have been on public display over the last few days that whoever wins tomorrow, the poison doesn't go away," he said.

"The back-stabbing doesn't stop. The focus on politics ahead of government won't end."

Mr Abbott said it was clear the Australian people were sick to death of "this kind of circus".

"Only it's so much worse than a circus.

"A circus is just a spectacle.

"This is a spectacle which is damaging our country every day."

The public were bewildered and appalled by what senior government members were saying about each other, Mr Abbott said.

"If Julia Gillard really thinks that Kevin Rudd is a dysfunctional egomaniac who was Captain Chaos when he was prime minister, why did she make him foreign minister of this country?

"If Kevin Rudd really believes Julia Gillard has utterly broken faith with the Australian people and that the carbon tax is a bad tax based on a lie, why did he agree to serve in her government?"

Mr Abbott said it was now up to the independents, who installed Ms Gillard to power, to act.

"If the independents have any respect for good government in this country, they will ring down the curtain on this shambles," he said.

"They got us into this mess. It's their responsiblity to get us out of it."

Mr Abbott was continuing his campaign against the carbon tax during a visit to the Beraldo coffee factory in Heidelberg West on Sunday.