Australia will meet its promised budget surplus by reducing spending and cancelling tax measures, according to Opposition Leader Tony Abbott.

Abbott criticised at the same time plans unveiled on Friday by Federal Treasurer Wayne to do away with a number of federal government programs, among them the concessions extended to the mining sector and other thriving industries.

According to The Australian, Swan views the elimination of such concessions as crucial for the Labor-led government to deliver the surplus it had pledged earlier.

On his previous notes, the Treasurer admitted meeting that goal would be a challenge for the government considering the recent revenue hits that have been besetting the treasury.

However, Abbott cautioned the government that training its attention on flourishing sectors and taking away their incentives will not solve anything but could further complicate its fiscal situation.

In an interview with Nine Network on Friday, Abbott stressed that singling out on productive industries will only bring up more economic issues.

"If you're going to be hitting people, don't hit productive people," the Liberal leader was quoted by the Australian Associated Press (AAP) as saying.

The immediate results would be people losing their jobs if companies take hits just because Swan zeroed-in on them, Abbott said.

Abbot suggested for the federal government to reconsider its upcoming tax measures, specifically the carbon that will take effect July this year, the cancellation of which, he said, could boost national revenues.

"I think if the government is serious about taking burdens off people it wouldn't be going ahead with the carbon tax," Abbott said.

Also, Swan should take into account the government's bloated expenditures, an area that needs extra attention if the government is indeed sincere in rationalising its budget and achieve a surplus by next year.

"Every year the treasurer talks tough about how it's going to be a really, really difficult budget and every year he basically squibs the hard decisions ... (Yet) this is a government that is inevitably tough on families because it won't be hard on its own spending," Abbott said.

What Swan should focus on, Abbott said, is to "get government spending down and not hit families in the budget that's coming up."

But the government appears convinced that taking away the concessions currently enjoyed by the mining, oil and gas and aviation industries plus slashing the research and development tax allowances by giant firms could bring in much needed revenues to the national coffers.

And Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten reminded Abbott that he should first address the Coalition's existing budget hole, which now runs as high as $70 billion.

The government is very serious in delivering the surplus not just to fulfil its promises but more so to bring down interest rates and to further strengthen the domestic economy, Shorten stressed.