Malcolm Turnbull insists voters have given his second federal budget a tick of approval and he's warning the Senate to respect their wishes when it comes to funding the NDIS.
Two polls published on Monday show a majority of voters support federal government moves to increase the Medicare levy to pay for the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
But the prime minister is facing questions about whether he's willing to compromise to get the measure through the upper house, with Labor vowing to oppose it for lower income earners.
He insists the polls show strong support for the measure and he's warning the Senate to reflect the wishes of voters.
"The budget has got a big tick of approval," Mr Turnbull told John Laws on Sydney radio 2SM.
"We want the senators to listen to that, the sentiment that's being reflected from the public and support all those measures when they come to the Senate."
The government intends to fund the NDIS via an increased Medicare levy on all taxpayers from 2019, but Labor wants to limit the planned 0.5 percentage point increase - taking the rate to 2.5 per cent - to those earning more than $87,000 a year.
The federal government wants all Australians to help fund it, but Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says that's unfair.
"Why should someone on $50,000 pay an increase in income tax when Malcolm Turnbull is giving a millionaire a $16,500 tax cut from 1 July?" Mr Shorten told reporters in Melbourne.
He's suggested the government find the money elsewhere, like scrapping $65 billion in company tax cuts.
"If you have to find money to help look after people who are less well off, why does it have to come from other people who aren't doing so well, rather than the millionaires and the top end of town?"
The prime minister accused Mr Shorten of playing politics with the issue after previously advocating for an increase in the Medicare levy to fund part of the NDIS.
"We call on him to capture the statesman-like qualities he showed some years ago and once again support funding the NDIS, but this time getting it right and funding it completely," Mr Turnbull told reporters in Sydney.
