Abbott warns of budget 'surrender'

Prime Minister Tony Abbott isn't taking a holiday from efforts to sell the budget, warning Senate crossbenchers and a wary public not to "surrender" on the economy.

"To go back to Labor would be a surrender," Mr Abbott told Macquarie Radio on Monday.

"I don't say that we have entirely solved as yet the problem ... but I don't believe that the Australian people want to surrender when it comes to the task of strengthening our economy."

With Labor and the Greens opposed to many of the Abbott government's key budget measures, such as the GP co-payment and an overhaul of higher education funding, ministers have been wooing the Senate crossbenchers for votes.

Mr Abbott urged the independents and minor parties to keep the big picture in mind and not be populist.

"Sure, there might be individual budget measures that you don't like but ... if all you're prepared to do is point to small things you don't like and reject the message of budget repair, you're part of the problem," he said.

Fresh analysis of Newspolls published in The Australian shows Mr Abbott, who's rarely been popular among female voters, has also lost the support of men.

The prime minister said his plan for the new year was to patiently persevere with the task of explaining why his government was doing what it was.