The federal budget is arguably the most important document in the nation, and there is no shortage of ideas as to how it could be improved. As the government is hounded by politicians, businesses, interest groups, think tanks, and academics on what they want to see in the big blue books, we want to give you a say.We’ve collected 23 ideas for changes to the budget. Some, such as increases to defence spending, bolstered fuel reserves and cuts to the NDIS, have already been floated by the government. Others, such as making cigarettes cheaper, soft drinks more expensive and cutting HECS fees for arts degrees, are a little further afield.The poll has now closed. See which budget items were most popular with readers below.readerpoll: budget2026;