The Abbott government’s decision to raise fuel excise and increase taxes for high-income earners has left backbenchers torn between dismay at the budget measures and anger at colleagues for public criticism.

Guardian Australia revealed on Wednesday that federal cabinet was likely to include a controversial increase in fuel excise in the government’s first major economic statement next week. The budget will also include a deficit levy, cuts to family payments and an increase in the pension age.

It is understood the government is likely to reintroduce fuel indexation in line with inflation, possibly after an initial increase, raising the risk of a backlash from millions of motorists.

Many government backbenchers contacted by Guardian Australia were highly critical of the way the lead-up to the budget had been handled, saying the government had lost control of the political debate and endured weeks of damaging debate.

The north Queensland-based senator Ian Macdonald said he was concerned about the impact of extra fuel tax because it would drive up the price of transporting goods to rural and regional areas and affect the cost of living.

“It is very very disappointing if our government, which gets very loyal support from rural and regional Australians, would impose a tax that will impact disproportionately on them,” he told Guardian Australia.

But the member for Herbert, Ewen Jones, took exception to colleagues who had spoken out in advance of knowing the budget details, saying their actions were “cowardly in the extreme” and they should “shut the hell up”.

Jones said he did not expect anyone to be happy about increasing taxes or cuts to services, but the government had a serious budget problem to confront.

“The thing I’ve got the real shits with are the people taking pot shots from our own side,” he told Guardian Australia, urging colleagues to wait until the budget was handed down.

A Victorian-based backbencher, Russell Broadbent, said it was the time to "back in the prime minister and the treasurer".

"Disunity at this point leaves us looking like the previous government. We'll all agree and disagree with certain policies," he said.

And the retiring Queensland senator Sue Boyce said she believed both the deficit levy and the reintroduction of indexation for petrol excise would be "good policy".

"I think it was dumb of John Howard to freeze the indexation of petrol excise in the first place [in 2001], so I don’t have a problem with it coming back. Nor do I have a problem with the deficit levy if it is targeted at high-income earners and temporary," she said.

But the member for Flynn, Ken O'Dowd, said he was concerned by increased costs, including to transport fruit, vegetable and meat products.

"It's another tax and I guess it could be a broken promise,” O’Dowd told the ABC.

"We already pay a pretty high price for our fuel in Australia as it is. This will anger the people to a certain degree. Anything over one or two cents you'll get a reaction from the public, for sure."

The South Australian Liberal senator Cory Bernardi said he opposed tax increases.

“Of course all these things need to be considered in the totality of the budget, but I have a longstanding and continuing opposition to new or increased taxes, levies, excises or whatever else others want to call them,” he said.

After Guardian Australia revealed the planned increase to fuel excise, motoring groups vowed to “forcefully” campaign against the decision, arguing it would be another breach of faith with voters.

Tony Abbott has said everyone must contribute to the budget repair job in order to reduce debt and deficit.

“I'm going to be able to look people in the eye … and say we are all in this together, we are all doing our bit,” the prime minister said on Wednesday.

The opposition leader, Bill Shorten, said Abbott would not be able to use “weasel words” to credibly deny breaking election promises, having staked his reputation on keeping commitments.

Former prime minister John Howard reduced petrol excise by 1.5c a litre when he was under assault over “cost of living” concerns after the introduction of the goods and services tax in 2001. He then froze it at 38.14c a litre, abolishing the twice-yearly automatic indexation of the tax that Labor had introduced in 1983.

It was a decision with a cost that escalated over the years, and now leaves the budget well over $5bn a year worse off.

A fuel excise increase of 1c per litre would deliver the budget $391m each year, according to modeling by Australian Automobile Association.

A reintroduction of indexation of fuel excise linked to the consumer price index would bring in $339m next financial year, rising to $1.6bn by 2017-18.

