Jobs, economic growth and tax reform will be priorities in thecoming federal budget, the treasurer, Scott Morrison, has told a conference of the Australian Christian Lobby.

Morrison spoke of the importance of supporting families and the need to create jobs, particularly for young people, during a speech to the ACL’s national conference in Sydney on Saturday.

“Getting more young people into work is a priority for our government, it will be a priority in this budget,” he told the audience.

The treasurer has previously faced demands to pull out of addressing the conference because of his opposition to same-sex marriage and had also been attacked by the Greens for siding with “bigots”.

The Australian Christian Lobby has called on the federal government to permanently override anti-discrimination laws to ensure those pushing for a no vote can speak their mind on same-sex marriage.

The ACL’s managing director, Lyle Shelton, has previously expressed concern that state anti-discrimination laws in particular have a low threshold, which could prevent a rigorous no campaign in the lead-up to a plebiscite.

“We need to have the ability for a free debate in this plebiscite and at the moment, state-based anti-discrimination laws have a very low threshold for what constitutes discrimination,” he has told Guardian Australia.

Morrison used the ACL’s national conference to spruik his budget before its delivery on May 3, and attack Labor’s plans to limit negative gearing and cut the capital gains tax discount.



Highlighting the importance of supporting families in the budget, he named key areas for action as jobs and growth, and a fairer and more sustainable tax system.



“I can assure you that families will be at the heart of the Turnbull government’s budget,” he told an audience of hundreds of delegates in Sydney on Saturday.



He flagged a fairer and more flexible superannuation system to keep up with modern work patterns and to ensure fewer people go on the pension.



Morrison also launched an attack on Labor’s changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax, which he said penalised families for investing in their future.



“You’ll forgive me for being a little political this morning ... there’s an election coming,” he said, to laughter from delegates.



The government’s plan to spend $5b over four years subsidising a public dental scheme also got a mention in Morrison’s speech.



But there was no word on reports middle-income families pushed into a higher tax bracket by inflation would get a modest tax cut to offset the “bracket creep”.



“You’ll just have to wait until May 3,” the treasurer told reporters outside the conference room.



Labor was cynical about reports the government will give those who earn slightly more than $80,000 a modest tax cut to address “bracket creep”.



The government has refused to confirm the reports, and the opposition leader, Bill Shorten, said “pre-budget games” were being played.



“The only thing that I’m sure about in this budget is that the wealthiest Australians and the largest multinationals will get tax cuts from Mr Turnbull,” Shorten told reporters in western Sydney.



Shorten also said dumped plans to give tax-levying powers to the states and increase the GST to 15% was a “form guide” to the government failing to push its tax reform agenda forward.



In his speech to the ACL, Morrison also talked up his government’s plan to spend $5b over four years subsidising a public dental scheme.



However Labor says the Liberals have cut $1b to dental services.



Labor’s shadow treasurer, Chris Bowen, said the government had occupied “just about every possible position on tax” in contrast to Labor’s “honest and upfront” communication of its fiscal plan.



Meanwhile the Greens’ Adam Bandt called on Labor to side with his party and rule out a tax cuts “arms race” against the government, saying taxes were the price paid for a civilised society.

