Hockey won't commit to surplus date The federal opposition is refusing to say when it will return the budget to surplus, with shadow treasurer Joe Hockey claiming the bottom line figures are "almost too unpredictable." The Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Outlook (PEFO) compiled by the departments of Treasury and Finance said on Tuesday there could be rising unemployment and larger deficits over the next three years. It also outlined a number of risks to the budget numbers, such as the fluctuating asylum seeker boat arrivals. There's now growing pressure on the coalition to release its costings and savings measures. But Mr Hockey says he won't be rushed into releasing his numbers. We are going to look at the state of the economy. We're also going to have to delve into those uncertain numbers that Treasury has identified," he told ABC radio. We are not going to be rash and irresponsible. We are going to be stable and predictable. He said he wouldn't be making the same mistake as Labor in over-promising and under-delivering on budget surpluses. "As the Treasury says, the bottom line is almost too unpredictable," he said. But what I say to you is that the coalition will deliver a surplus before Labor, but the repair job is much tougher than I think anyone expected. Treasurer Chris Bowen earlier acknowledged that the budget would continue to provide challenges over the next decade. "Of course it will, regardless of who's in office," he told ABC radio. There will be ongoing revenue challenges. But Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said that while Treasury's analysis showed a wide range of variability, he was confident the budget position would be stronger under a coalition government. I am confident that the overall budgetary position under the coalition will be significantly stronger. I am confident about that," he told reporters in Brisbane. The only way to get back to a surplus is to have a coalition government. Labor will never deliver a surplus. He also said the coalition was not about to enter into a "a vote buying auction" to win power.