The opposition said it would not block supply and to do so would be ''anti-democratic''. Independent MP Andrew Wilkie wants MPs to block the budget and force another election. Credit:J.J. Voss Labor leader Bill Shorten reiterated the party's position on Wednesday, but warned the government that the budget would have to ''get through Labor first'' and it would not support measures such as the GP fee and the fuel excise. But Mr Wilkie said the other parties had to do more than just voice their concerns and demonstrate their opposition by voting against the appropriation bills. ''I'm reminding them of what a miserable piece of work the budget is and pointing out that a clear majority of people in the community are unhappy,'' he said.

''If these parties are fair dinkum about their opposition, they'll join me in opposing it. ''This is not about trying to force an election. It's about forcing the government back to the drawing board to bring us back a fairer budget.'' Mr Wilkie said in the weeks since budget night he had been "bombarded" with complaints from voters who thought many of its measures were too harsh. ''I have never seen anything like it – the breadth and depth of concern and even anger with the budget,'' he said. ''The government has crossed a line and that is why I will cross my line and call a division on the appropriation.''

Labor leader Bill Shorten refused to buy into Mr Wilkie's comments saying he would not get into the ''language of the crossbenchers''. ''Labor believes that the GP tax is an attack on universal accessible Medicare. We will do everything we can to defeat the attack on Medicare,'' he told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday. Meanwhile, independent senator Nick Xenophon said the government might have to bring down an alternative ''mini budget'' because of the level of discontent. Senator Xenophon said the Coalition would struggle to get some of the more contentious measures in its budget through the Senate, and might have to go back to the drawing board. ''I don't think it's out of the question that the government might have to go back to the parliament in a few months time with a mini-budget and I don't think that's unreasonable,'' Senator Xenophon told ABC radio on Wednesday.

Loading The government needs six of the 18 crossbenchers in the Senate for legislation to pass, making it unlikely measures such as the Medicare co-payment and welfare and pension changes will succeed. with AAP