A senior Coalition MP has called for the GST to apply to fresh food as rattled colleagues questioned the government's pre-budget political strategy and admitted they have been hit by a wave of voter anger over the broken promises, new taxes and cuts in federal Treasurer Joe Hockey's first budget.

Queensland senator Ian Macdonald broke the federal wall of silence on the GST by arguing the consumption tax should be broadened to include fresh goods, which were excluded under a compromise deal hammered out by John Howard and the Democrats in 1999.

"I had been concerned about our pre-budget message": Senator Ian Macdonald. Credit:Andrew Meares

''I will never support an increase in the GST but I think we should extend it to what we originally proposed prior to the 1998 election,'' he said. ''I could also support states having a smidgen of income tax. If we want them to run schools and education that seems fair.''

A former minister who lost his frontbench spot after the election, Senator Macdonald's public comments reflect the private views of many in the Coalition party room and will create another political headache for Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who said on Sunday his government had no plans to change the GST.