Turnbull wants Senate to heed polls

Politicians often pretend they don't pay attention to opinion polls but Malcolm Turnbull must be hoping the Senate crossbench sees voter support for his budget.

Two polls published on Monday showed a majority of voters support federal government moves to tax the big banks and increase the Medicare levy to pay for the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

And while about half of respondents to Newspoll and Fairfax-Ipsos said they would be worse off from the budget's measures - and just one in five better off - more thought it was fair than not.

"The budget has got a big tick of approval and that is what it's all about," the prime minister told John Laws on Sydney radio 2SM.

"We want the senators to listen to that, the sentiment that's being reflected from the public and support all those measures when they come to the Senate."

But the coalition still trails Labor in both polls 47 per cent to 53 per cent.

The Ipsos result is an improvement for the coalition, but the gap has widened slightly in Newspoll.

Mr Turnbull continues to lead Opposition Leader Bill Shorten as preferred prime minister in both surveys.

Cabinet minister Josh Frydenberg noted the mixed results.

"But the next election's two years away. It's not for me to be a commentator on these weekly or fortnightly polls," he told ABC radio.

"If you ask me am I proud of the budget, the clear answer is yes."

Health Minister Greg Hunt said the high level of support for the Medicare hike was quite significant.

"Australians understand that that's fair," he told ABC radio.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott, who is on his way to Israel to receive an honorary doctorate, said he'd had a few text messages from colleagues about the polls.

"I've always said that the important thing was to get the policy right ... and the polls will follow," he told Sydney radio 2GB.

'They don't always follow quickly - sometimes they don't really follow 'til polling day - but nevertheless you cannot govern in accordance with the polls."

The budget was the best the government could do in the circumstances after the Senate rejected many of the savings measures he and his treasurer Joe Hockey wanted, Mr Abbott said.

Senate crossbencher Jacqui Lambie believes Mr Turnbull's position is safe following the polls.

"I think that Bill is really going to have to turn this around," she told Seven Network.

WHAT THE POLLS SHOW:

NEWSPOLL

* Labor leads 53-47 two-party preferred

* Coalition 36 per cent primary vote

* Labor 36 per cent primary vote

* Budget is fair 39 per cent; unfair 36 per cent

* 54 per cent back Medicare levy increase

* 68 per cent back bank levy

* Budget leaves 45 per cent worse off; 19 per cent better off

FAIRFAX-IPSOS

* Labor leads 53-47 two-party preferred

* Coalition 37 per cent primary vote

* Labor 35 per cent primary vote

* Budget is fair 42 per cent; unfair 39 per cent

* 61 per cent back Medicare levy increase

* 68 per cent back bank levy

* 86 per cent back "Gonski 2.0" schools package

* Budget leaves 50 per cent worse off; 20 per cent better off