Bowen attacks early federal budget

Politics is being put ahead of the economy and tax reform with the bringing forward of the budget and the threat of a July election, says Labor.

Labor says the prime minister has put politics ahead of policy in moving the budget forward a week to May 3 and threatening a July 2 double-dissolution election.

"Malcolm Turnbull's decision to bring forward the budget is all to do with politics and nothing to do with the economy or tax reform," shadow treasurer Chris Bowen said in a statement on Monday.

It is the first budget to be brought forward since Arthur Fadden's in 1952.