Prime Minister Tony Abbott says he expects to deliver a balanced budget in five years.
Mr Abbott made the bold claim in the coalition joint party room meeting on Tuesday, despite the government facing what he called a "feral Senate" blocking budget savings measures from last year.
The intergenerational report released earlier in March found that the budget could return to a "sustained surplus" in 2019/20 only if last year's budget savings were delivered.
The government has ditched its Medicare co-payment and its university deregulation plan is expected to be vetoed in the Senate a second time.
Mr Abbott told colleagues they had to be "salesmen for Australia" as they went out to their electorates pitching the merits of government policies.
"We have to be full of confidence and optimism for our country's future," he said.
Deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop urged colleagues to begin talking about the May 12 budget in broad themes.
These were living within the country's means, not using the credit card to pay off debt and meeting the challenges of an ageing society.
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