LABOR has taken up the “election now” war cry Tony Abbott used to undermine the authority of the Gillard and Rudd governments.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will today highlight that it is exactly three months since the first Abbott Budget was delivered, and its fate in the Senate is still uncertain.

In the lead up to today, the Opposition Leader has urged a fresh general election as an option for Prime Minister Abbott to end a Senate impasse.

“Why not take it to the people and let them decide?” he said Monday night on ABC radio while discussing controversial changes to university funding.

Mr Shorten today moderated his early election dare, saying the better course would be for Prime Minister Abbott and Treasurer Joe Hockey to ditch unpopular Budget proposals.

“I think Australians would prefer Tony Abbott kept his promises from the last election rather than have a new one,” Mr Shorten told news.com.au.

media_camera Treasurer Joe Hockey is working hard to woo Clive Palmer and his senators in the hope they will help pass the Budget.

He said “Tony Abbott wouldn’t have the guts to take his GP Tax, cuts to pensions, cuts to schools and hospitals to the people — that’s why he lied about it before the last election.

“He doesn’t need an election to tell him this budget stinks — he could ask any pensioner, student or parent of a sick child how unfair it is.”

It was an acknowledgment that voters could be election weary after last September’s poll, a re-run Senate vote in Western Australia, and state elections in South Australia and soon in Victoria.

And the comments could be recognition that recent opinion polls showing Labor could win government have been more about the Coalition’s unpopularity than Labor’s electability.

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And it’s unlikely that new, minority party senators would like the prospect of their terms ending abruptly in the unlikely prospect of the government calling a double dissolution election.

However, Mr Shorten wasn’t restrained about a fresh general election when he championed it four days ago to emphasise the Government’s tough Budget task dealing with 10 cross bench senators and their Budget demands.

On the weekend he said: “I would admire the government if they had the courage to take their Budget proposals to the people before they ask the Parliament to vote on it.”

He said “perhaps the best thing for the Government to do would be to show the courage of its convictions and take it to people to decide and then let the Parliament see what the people direct”.

media_camera Thousands of people around the country have protested against Budget measures. Picture: Alex Coppel.

Treasurer Hockey is doing the rounds of the cross bench senators testing their demands and last night dined with Palmer United Party founder and MP Clive Palmer.

Earlier, he failed to win a Budget vote from another PUP member but at least won a friend.

“He realised after 10 minutes he was wasting time negotiating with me,” said Tasmanian PUP senator Jackie Lambie yesterday.

But she added, “Personally, I like the man.”’

Originally published as ‘It’s time’: Labor calls for fresh election