Wong challenges Abbott budget outlook August 26, 2013 - 10:23AM Finance Minister Penny Wong doubts a coalition government can deliver a budget surplus without cutting services. Senator Wong was responding to Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's statement on his plans for the budget if the coalition wins government on September 7. She linked this to Mr Abbott's further statement that the size of government would be smaller under him. We know what that's Liberal for. We all know what that's code for. It's cuts to jobs and cuts to services," Senator Wong told Sky News on Monday. How do you have growth if you do nothing except hack into jobs and services? Is that a recipe for growth? Mr Abbott said on Sunday the budget would be on track to a "believable" surplus by the end of a first term coalition government. He refined this on Monday, saying it could deliver a surplus by 2016/17 if the current budget projections were correct. Senator Wong said the economy had grown by 14 per cent since Labor won government in 2007.