Broadband a big ticket

The promise of a national network delivering high-speed broadband services to 98 per cent of Australians is a key element of next week's federal budget.

The Rudd government has signalled a tough anti-inflation budget that will also honour Labor's election promises.

One such promise was to build a $4.7 billion high-speed national broadband network (NBN) - one of the budget's biggest funding allocations for a single project.

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy says the widespread availability and affordability of first-class broadband services is a first-order priority.

"Australians should have access to the best infrastructure and services possible in order to maximise the potential benefits from the transition to the digital economy," he told the Sydney Institute this week.

"Connectivity should be available to all Australians irrespective of where they choose to live or work.

"And the affordability of services, including for disadvantaged members of our society, is a critical element of the equation, and an important policy focus for government."

Senator Conroy says the NBN will rival the Snowy Mountains hydro scheme in terms of scale and significance.

But the federal opposition has been highly critical of the NBN project, arguing it's years from completion and ignores the broadband needs of rural, regional and remote Australia.

Meanwhile, five days out from his government's first budget, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd unveiled a $100 million investment in training Queensland doctors.

It is just the tip of the federal health spending to be revealed next Tuesday night.

Former coalition treasurer Peter Costello allocated $51.8 billion to health and aged care in his twelfth and final budget last year.

Labor successor, Wayne Swan, has warned his inaugural budget will be peppered with spending cuts to curb inflation.

But peak doctors' group the Australian Medical Association (AMA) has called for health to be spared.

Some 3,750 extra public hospital beds, incentives for doctors to go bush and more funding to train nurses are just a few items on the wish lists of medical lobby groups.

The government has already promised $360 million over three years to reimburse families receiving Tax Benefit A to cover half the cost of annual dental checkups for teenagers.

Following the release of an audit into the "dire" state of rural health, the government announced $6.3 million for extra clinical schools in the bush, as well a new rural health office.

Some $87 million to fund $6,000 bonuses to encourage nurses back into the workforce will form part of the budget, as well as $92 million for indigenous child and maternal health services.

Health Minister Nicola Roxon has promised a big chunk of the estimated $2 billion of extra revenue will be spent on a national preventative health strategy.

AMA president Rosanna Capolingua told AAP the Rudd government had made the right signals, especially on preventative and indigenous health.

But now is the time for US dollars, she said.

"The commitments are there. We now need to see the translation into the doing. There is no doubt about that," Dr Capolingua said.

"We are ready for the action now."