Queensland Liberal National MP George Christensen said he had been conducting a series of forums across his electorate, and the feedback on the GP payments had been "overwhelming". "Politically it would be a good move if we exempt pensioners, or people born before 1956," he said. "It will be no surprise to the Prime Minister, the Treasurer or anyone else that the GP co-payment isn't popular. Overwhelmingly, the feedback on the issue is that you must exempt pensioners." NSW Liberal MP Alex Hawke said while he supported the principle of the co-payment, there were adjustments that could be made. "The GP co-payment is going to be appropriate for the bulk of people," he said. "But how it applies to pensioners and the most vulnerable is something we can iron out the bugs on." Coalition senator Ian Macdonald said he appreciated the importance of the measure, but it was "very unpopular" with a large section of the Coalition's "traditional voters".

"It must be reviewed," he said. Fairfax Media has spoken to other Coalition MPs who want pensioners exempted but did not want to be named. Health Minister Peter Dutton said on Monday that the country needed to be honest about how to pay for subsidised healthcare in an ageing population. ''I think we've struck a good balance, but I'm happy to listen to suggestions or ways in which people think we can improve the system and we're discussing all that at the moment,'' he told Fairfax Radio 2UE. The government is in parallel negotiations with the Senate crossbenchers and the Australian Medical Association on the $7 GP fee on issues like eligibility, but a senior source played down the likelihood of blanket exemptions.

Labor has attacked the GP co-payment as one of the government's most unfair budget measures. A survey of 1500 people by the ME Bank, to be released on Monday, found 67 per cent of Australians expected their financial situation to worsen in the next year as a result of the budget. Nearly a third ranked budget measures as their top financial concern. ME Bank economist Jeff Oughton said for some groups, including students, single parents, the unemployed and pensioners, the budget had caused a "very significant hit to their financial comfort".

Mr Oughton said it was not just these groups. "For most households there's been a significant fall in their actual or perceptions of their financial comfort in the future as a response to the budget." He said consumers' expectations of their financial comfort were at a "moderate level" compared with globally, but they were still "heading in the wrong direction". Loading The data showed more than half of Australians spend their entire salary or more than what they earn each month. Follow us on Twitter