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Consumers give budget thumbs down

Women, middle-income earners, borrowers and pensioners have given up on Tony Abbott and his first Budget.

As Labor signalled it would block any measure it termed "unconscionable", figures showed the Budget's harsh measures being rejected by consumers who fear for their economic future.

The Westpac-Melbourne Institute measure of consumer sentiment fell another 6.8 per cent and sits at a near three-year low. It is now back below where it stood when the Abbott Government was elected in September.

The sentiment also showed big falls among certain parts of the community.

Sentiment among women (down 13.6 per cent), those aged over 45 (down 12 per cent), mortgage holders (13.5 per cent), people earning between $60,000 and $80,000 (down 27.7 per cent) and people outside major cities (down 11.6 per cent) all plummeted.

Westpac found almost 60 per cent of consumers believed their family finances would be worse over the next 12 months because of the Budget .

University students also voiced their opposition to the Budget yesterday, taking to the streets of capital cities to protest against changes including deregulated fees and higher repayment rates.

The Prime Minister found himself under fire on talkback radio yesterday as listeners vented concerns about the Government's fiscal blueprint.

Mr Abbott said the Government was simply trying to repair the Budget and that required tough decisions that might be unpopular.

Labor has come under fire from the Government for blocking what it says are $40 billion in Budget measures.

Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen said the true figure was much smaller and that did not take into account revenue measures, including the mining and carbon taxes, that the Government wanted to ditch.