Most Australians don't know who they trust more to handle the economy - Treasurer Scott Morrison or his Labor counterpart Chris Bowen.
A quarter rated Mr Morrison better in the latest Essential Research poll, just pipping Mr Bowen (22 per cent) but it was hardly a ringing endorsement of his May 9 budget.
While two in five approved of the budget overall, more than half thought it more about improving the government's popularity than the economy.
Almost 80 per cent expect the banks to pass on the cost of the proposed bank levy to their customers; 39 per cent disapproved of removing of the two per cent deficit levy on high income earners; while 56 per cent thought the rich should bear the cost of a hike in the Medicare levy.
Overall, 29 per cent were less confident in the government's ability to manage the economy following the budget compared with 27 per cent more confident and a third who said it made no difference.
