The Albanese government is not ruling out adopting Peter Dutton’s proposal to allow the unemployed to supplement their benefit by doing more work, but argues the better option is to get them off welfare altogether.

On the first full day of the traditional post-budget roadshow, both Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers were also forced to argue the benefits of last week’s budget for “middle Australia” after internal and public polling showed most voters did not feel the document contained much for them.