Former prime minister John Howard believes the Abbott government has clearly framed its latest budget around political considerations.
The budget Treasurer Joe Hockey handed down on Tuesday night was "very different" to his first a year ago.
"It has certainly been framed by the government with an eye to political sensitivities," Mr Howard told PwC's budget breakfast on Wednesday.
But that wasn't a bad thing considering the political implications, because the government needed to promote growth and conduct sensible reform with an eye to what voters would accept.
Mr Howard conceded the 2014 budget was ill-conceived, especially now-abandoned indexation changes to the aged pension.
"Anything that looks as though it will cut it or retard the rate of increase in the pension is just not on in the Australian context," he said.
However, changes to the pension's assets test were fair and intelligent.
The former prime minister hit out at Labor, saying when he was on the opposition benches in the 1980s he was quick to support sensible economic changes under the Hawke government.
"If you think that is a less than subtle reference to the behaviour of the current opposition, you'd be 150 per cent correct," he said.
Economist Peter Switzer, who also spoke at the breakfast, dubbed Mr Hockey's second effort "The Viagra Budget".
"We were in need of excessive stimulation and Joe has provided it," he said.
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