The federal opposition has rubbished suggestions it would need to plug a $70 billion budget hole if elected, saying Labor's claims prove how bad they are with numbers.
In the wake of its economic statement on Friday, the federal government has released its own critique of the coalition's fiscal position, asking how they could match Labor's budget bottom line.
The analysis claims an Abbott government would have to make cuts to the tune of $70 billion if it was to come good on its election promises, such as the costly paid-parental leave scheme.
The coalition fired back on Sunday, accusing Labor of making multi-billion dollar errors and distorting the figures.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said given the government's "humiliating" mini-budget, nobody should be paying attention to Labor's number crunching.
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"This is a government which has got every figure wrong," he told reporters in Sydney on Sunday.
"If the government spent more time getting its own policy right, and less time worrying about the opposition, it would actually be performing much better."
Finance Minister Penny Wong said the government had made its budget position clear, and it was time the coalition did the same with an election looming.
She wasn't "in Joe Hockey's mind", but if the shadow treasurer had a different idea about how he planned to pay for his promises then he should be upfront about it.
"I think Australians deserve to know just which services in health, in education, Tony Abbott would cut to make good his promises that he's made," she told ABC TV on Sunday.
Mr Hockey said this analysis was a "weapon of mass distraction" intended to shift the gaze from the fact Labor had haemorrhaged $3 billion a week since the budget.
The coalition would only promise what it could afford, and it wouldn't "cop a lecture" from Labor about accuracy of numbers.
"Give us a break," he told Network Ten on Sunday.
"Our numbers are going to be absolutely right, we will release them before the election, whenever that is."
The coalition was not "spooked" by the return of Kevin Rudd, because the Australian public would see through him before the election, he added.
