The Young Liberals have called on the Turnbull government to cut more public service jobs and continue efforts to limit welfare payments, including through a new Tony Abbott-style commission of audit.
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In a submission ahead of the May federal budget, Young Liberal leaders Aiden Depiazzi and Josh Manuatu call for action to drastically bring the budget back to balance and for renewed efforts to control government debt.
Along with a plan to abolish the compulsory fee paid by university students for campus services and amenities, the submission calls for a new audit commission to examine expenditure across government.
Former prime minister Tony Abbott tasked businessman Tony Shepherd with examining all government expenditure in 2014. His commission report recommended axing 15,000 public service jobs, increasing the pension age to 70, including the family home in means testing, privatisation of government agencies and the dumped GP co-payment proposal.
Mr Depiazzi, the Young Liberals' federal president, said members were concerned debt had grown beyond $500 billion, and it was unsatisfactory young Australians would be saddled with the task of repaying record amounts.
He called a renewed focus on asset sales, including through bonuses paid to state governments, and for cuts in regulation.
"I think there's significant room for government efficiencies in existing programs and one of the benefits of a re-examination would be finding areas where you could overturn existing regulation that adds existing cost to government activity."
Mr Depiazzi said the next generation of taxpayers shouldn't suffer for an overly generous welfare system and further shrinking the size of government should be a priority.
"What I think is a remarkable feature of some of the reductions in the public workforce over [the Abbott government] was that it was reasonably uncontroversial, and I think there are efficiencies that you can find in public sector employment including in terms of natural attrition," he said.
"I don't necessarily think an axe needs to be swept through but I think there are convenient and probably uncontroversial ways of closing out roles that don't necessarily add too much value, including through natural attrition."
The submission calls for a repeal of the Student Services and Amenities Fee, up to $294 in 2017, described as "a great big student tax" paid directly to student unions.
Mr Depiazzi said he was optimistic Treasurer Scott Morrison's second budget could turn around the government's political fortunes and give new direction to the Coalition.
"I have faith that, given we're reasonably early on since the election, that the government still has a lot to do.
"From the perspective of what I think young Australians are interested in, I think the election was a really good outcome because what Labor was offering was not particularly positive for young people and I think in recent times, there's a lot to be happy with as a Liberal in how the government is going," he said.
