The opposition leader has drawn criticism that he is behind the times and sexist after he suggested that a key concern of Australia's "housewives" when discussing global warming policy would be the cost of ironing clothes.

Opposition leader Tony Abbott's efforts yesterday to undermine public confidence in the government's proposed curbs on Australia's greenhouse gas emissions has focused attention on himself instead.

Abbott, who will attempt to oust Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's centre-left government at elections this year, had been explaining to reporters at a dry cleaning business outside Canberra how the price of electricity would rise under the government's scheme.

"What the housewives of Australia need to understand as they do the ironing is that if they get it done commercially it's going to go up in price, and their own power bills when they switch the iron on are going to go up," Abbott said.

The comments were widely discussed on talk radio around Australia.