Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has bowed to political pressure saying he will support plain packaging legislation for cigarettes, reports The Sydney Morning Herald.

Conservative leader Abbott said he would not oppose the laws when they are presented to parliament later this year, but would propose a number of amendments to ensure smoking rates really will decrease. "But if our amendments fail, we won't be opposing the legislation," he said.

His statement ends weeks of partyroom indecision on whether to back the minority Labor government amid threats of tobacco industry legal action. British American Tobacco, for example, said the government's plans would infringe international trademark and intellectual property law.

Abbott, who previously had questioned the effectiveness of plain packaging, has come under fire from the government for being in the pocket of tobacco companies. Two weeks ago, he told reporters: "My anxiety with this (proposal) is that it may end up being counter-productive in practice." (pi)