We should've sold budget better: Turnbull

Malcolm Turnbull says last year's federal budget was not a failure, but concedes more should have been done to sell it.

The federal communications minister says unpopular measures have "been such a battle" because Labor, the Greens and other crossbenchers refuse to support them in the Senate.

"It is in no way correct to say that the 2014-15 budget was a failure," Mr Turnbull told the Brisbane Club on Wednesday.

"Many measures, amounting to a net saving over the forward estimates of $16 billion, have been passed.

"But we clearly haven't been able to achieve the degree of fiscal repair and reform that was and is needed."

Mr Turnbull said the "fundamental problem" with the budget was the public was not convinced tough measures were necessary.

There was also a "deeply felt sense" in the community the budget measures were unfair to low-income earners.

"We, and I include myself and every member of the government in this criticism, did not do a good enough job in explaining the scale of the fiscal problem the nation faces," Mr Turnbull said.

"And the urgency of taking corrective action."

Mr Turnbull took questions from the audience and offered his views on solving the Senate's "big issue of credibility" - that people could be elected despite attracting only a small fraction of first-preference votes.

"One of the things that's often kicked around and is true in many countries is to have a cut-off so that anyone who does not achieve a minimum primary vote of, say, five per cent or perhaps a somewhat lower figure, is excluded and their preferences are distributed," he said.

"That's one solution, but there are many others.

"I think we all recognise that there is a big problem."