Fresh from handing down his fourth budget, Jim Chalmers has begun the sales pitch ahead of voters going to the polls in May.
The budget centrepiece was tax cuts for all taxpayers, which will see a reduction of up to $268 from July 2026 and $536 the following year.
While the measures work out to an extra $10 a week for hip pockets, Dr Chalmers said the cost-of-living relief is greater once it is factored into previous tax cuts.
"This is about topping up a tax cut for every Australian taxpayer," he told ABC TV.
"We know that they're modest in isolation, but we think meaningful in combination with all of the tax cuts that we've provided and the other cost-of-living help that we are rolling out."
Aside from the tax cuts, the budget contained few surprises, with many policies already announced on the presumption of an early election.
But the government was forced to delay going to the polls due to the disaster response after Tropical Cyclone Alfred barrelled towards southeast Queensland, which meant it had to hand down a budget after all.
Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor said the coalition would not support the extra tax cuts, calling the measure a "cruel hoax".
"This is a big spending, big taxing budget which is for the next five weeks, not for the next five years," he said.
"What we see in it is a promise of 70 cents a day in a year's time, which is going to do nothing to resort Australians' standard of living to where it was when Labor came to power."
However, Mr Taylor did not say whether the coalition would offer its own form of tax relief or other cost-of-living measures.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said the budget failed to deliver a promise for the future.
"The budget won't help address the financial stress Australian families are under and it's nothing more than an election bribe by a weak prime minister," he said.
The treasurer said the budget showed inflation coming down to within the Reserve Bank's target of between two and three per cent sooner than anticipated.
"This fourth budget, a very rare and cherished opportunity, is being delivered on the eve of an election, and it will set up a choice," Dr Chalmers said.
Greens leader Adam Bandt said the party would support the tax cuts, despite describing the budget as a missed opportunity.
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