The Abbott government has used the winter parliamentary break to continue budget negotiations with the new Senate crossbench before Parliament resumes sitting next week.

"You never finally say no to these things, but I think the last thing the Australian people want is another election now," Mr Abbott said.

He pointed to recent state elections and the WA Senate byelection before suggesting voters had had enough of going to the polls and now expect 'the Parliament to get on with its job".

The Prime Minister also suggsted that he believed the comments by Mr Parkinson on the budget, including that tax would rise, had been misinterpreted.

"Well I'm not sure that's exactly what he said," he said. "He may have been interpreted that way. My job is not to run a commentary on the budget, my job is to tell people what we're doing and why we're doing it."