Treasurer Scott Morrison has signalled a crackdown on dole bludgers as he puts together his mid-budget review, due to be handed down next Monday.
He also lashed out at Labor for not wanting to fix the budget, accusing it of being on a "wreck-the-joint sort of mission".
But the opposition is equally concerned of an increased threat to the nation's top-tier credit rating after Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said he wouldn't be locked into an artificial budget surplus deadline.
That's despite predicting a return to balance in the May budget.
"Without question, pushing the surplus date out would put the triple-A credit rating at risk," the opposition's finance spokesman Jim Chalmers told ABC radio.
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He said there were no excuses for not meeting the surplus target the government set for itself and it should stop pointing the finger at others for the budget mess it has now created.
Government figures show nearly 36,000 people across the nation have quit jobs or knocked back job offers so they can put their feet up on welfare.
"If they knock back those jobs, they are not taking those jobs, then they shouldn't be getting the dole," Mr Morrison told Sydney's 2GB radio.
Acting Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek agreed there was no excuse for choosing not to work but said most people who are receiving unemployment benefits are desperate to find work.
"If someone is rorting, they should have the book thrown at them but let's have a government that's serious about supporting jobs for Australians too," she said.
The government has ruled out undertaking stimulus spending following last week's weak set of national accounts figures, which showed the economy contracting for the first time in five years.
Mr Morrison said infrastructure spending is incredibly important to keep the economy growing.
"But we have got an opposition that just seems to want to put up the stop sign every single time when you want to take the economy forward," Mr Morrison said.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was in Sydney to sign-off on the $5 billion contract to build the state's second airport in Badgerys Creek.
"This is a critical element of our focus on ensuring strong economic growth and strong jobs growth right across the nation, but in particular here in western Sydney," Mr Turnbull told reporters.
Shadow assistant treasurer Andrew Leigh said while there is a need for infrastructure investment, projects need to stack up.
"I worry under this government we have had too much partisan pork-barrelling," Dr Leigh told Sky News.
"We have seen too many instances in which the government, effectively run by (Deputy Prime Minister) Barnaby Joyce is investing in infrastructure projects that don't have a good pay-off for the community."
