Assistant Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says the May budget won't have the same "shock and awe" as last year's.
It's a promise the Reserve Bank, at least, will hope the government sticks to as it looks for help with the heavy lifting to boost Australia's sluggish economic growth.
The central bank board holds its monthly meeting on Tuesday amid growing speculation that it will cut the cash rate again.
Respected economist Saul Eslake says the RBA has been frustrated by the Australian dollar's resilience in the face of falling commodity prices.
"I suspect secretly they would prefer the other arms of policy, particularly fiscal policy, took up more of the strain," the chief economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch told ABC television on Sunday.
He said there should be less emphasis on short-term fiscal austerity.
Mr Frydenberg said the government must keep spending under control but it aims to boost work participation and productivity through its soon to be announced families and small business packages.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten hopes the government drops its planned cut to the pension.
"I think that would make millions of older Australians feel just a little less anxious about what's going on," he told the Nine Network.
The government is still trying to make a breakthrough in pension reform that would see future payment increases linked to just CPI.
But it is considering a proposal from the peak welfare body ACOSS to tighten eligibility for the part pension.
Treasurer Joe Hockey's tax discussion paper released last week also sparked much debate over superannuation tax concessions.
Mr Frydenberg said the treasurer was giving a lot of thought to the idea of a broader review of superannuation and retirement taxation.
"We are certainly attracted to this idea because you can't look at any particular issue in isolation," he told Sky News on Sunday.
He also denied any suggestion the government could change the GST without the buy-in of all the states and territories, saying it was more than a gentlemen's agreement.
It was "outrageous" Labor had ruled out any debate on the GST, he said.
"Let's put all the facts on the table and see where the cards fall," Mr Frydenberg said.
That includes looking again at the $1000 GST threshold on purchases of overseas goods.
Mr Shorten is standing firm.
"I'm not convinced at all and don't believe that increasing the GST is the answer to Australia's problems," he said.
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