Oppn in a 'fog of confusion' over budget

Voters have rated Tony Abbott as the better economic manager but the opposition leader runs away from opportunities to debate the economy, a cabinet minister says.

The latest Newspoll published in The Australian on Monday shows Mr Abbott holds a nine-point lead over Prime Minister Julia Gillard on the question of who is more capable of handling the economy.

But Trade Minister Craig Emerson said Mr Abbott "scurried away" from the economic debate initiated by Ms Gillard last week.

"(The opposition) weren't interested in engaging in this debate, because they do know that they have fundamental problems which will become more evident as time goes on," Dr Emerson told ABC Radio on Monday.

"Those fundamental problems being a $70 billion hole in the budget and confusion, a complete fog of confusion, about when or if they would ever return the budget to surplus."

Industry Minister Greg Combet also dismissed the poll, saying there had been "nothing less than a complete shambles" from the coalition during the past week.

"They don't even know what their economic policy is," he told ABC Television.

But the government was clear on its commitment to a budget surplus in 2012/13, while delivering a strong economic performance, he said.

Parliamentary secretary to the treasurer David Bradbury said the government's economic credibility was intact.

Opposition treasury spokesman Joe Hockey played down the poll result.

"We go out there and we speak with people and we understand the pain that Australians are going through with increasing costs of living and a government that is out of touch," he told reporters on Monday.

"And no amount of spin of the government in this place or anywhere else is going to make up for the fact that they are making Australians' lives harder and not easier."

Senior Liberal Eric Abetz said the government had lost all credibility with the Australian public.

"The Labor Party has given us a very rich field to pick from," he told reporters in Canberra.

"Nobody can accuse us of pursuing this government over economic mismanagement."

Veteran Nationals senator Ron Boswell said he was surprised the opposition was not further in front in the poll.

"I would have thought we'd be miles in front because the government's economic management is a disaster just waiting to happen," he told reporters.