Claims by a senior government minister that enacting a national standard for 10 days of paid domestic violence leave would hurt the economy have sparked a furious response from his political opponents.

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said on Sunday that the government was already investing in combating domestic violence and a paid leave program would be expensive.

“We just believe it’s another cost on our economy that will have an impact on our international competitiveness,” Senator Cormann told Sky News.

“These are matters my good friend and colleague [Employment Minister] Michaelia Cash has addressed in detail.

“It’s not something that we are attracted to.”

But when pressed on details of those counterproductive consequences, Senator Cormann declined to answer, instead referring queries to Ms Cash.

Labor’s family violence spokeswoman Terri Butler claimed that Senator Cormann was “confused” on the issue.

“It’s domestic violence, not domestic violence leave, that costs our economy and harms our international competitiveness,” she said.

She cited KPMG research that estimated domestic violence cost Australia $13 billion a year.

Labor wants a national right to a minimum five days of paid domestic violence leave for every worker each year.

Senator Cormann noted the Turnbull government was making the strongest investment ever into programs to counter domestic violence.

‘No recession’

Senator Cormann also rejected suggestions the economy was headed towards recession despite new data last week showing it hit reverse gear for the first time in five years, and he said the government would be locked into an artificial budget surplus deadline.

Instead, it will aim to get back to balance as soon as it can.

“We need to make decisions that are both fiscally and economically responsible,” he said.

He and Treasurer Scott Morrison will hand down the budget update on December 19. In the May budget a surplus was projected by 2020/21.

However, an independent analysis last month warned that, since May, the budget had deteriorated over the next four years by some $24 billion because of record low wages growth hitting tax revenues, an issue Mr Morrison has not disputed.

But Senator Cormann made clear the government wouldn’t be entering into “so-called stimulus spending”, dismissing suggestions the economy was already in recession.

“I completely reject your proposition that we are in a recession right now, that is just false,” he said in response to a question on Sky News. The December quarter national accounts won’t be known until March 1 next year.

‘He’s lying’

Opposition finance spokesman Jim Chalmers said Senator Cormann was either “deliberately lying” to Australians or unable to read his own budget papers properly.

He said under the Coalition’s watch, net debt had blown out by more than $100 billion and continued to rise, while the projected deficit for this financial year had tripled.

“If this chaotic and clueless government was serious about budget repair and protecting our AAA rating, it would immediately ditch its $50 billion tax gift for big multinationals and the banks,” Dr Chalmers said in a statement.

But there seems little chance of that, with Senator Cormann saying the government will press on next year with the 10-year plan to incrementally cut the business tax rate to 25 per cent from 30 per cent.

“Every sensible economist will tell you a more competitive tax rate will help you boost investment, will help you boost productivity, which will help you boost growth and over time increase real wages,” Senator Cormann said.

– with ABC, AAP