TANGNEY MP Dennis Jensen is refusing to take his dumping by the Liberal party quietly, dropping a few hand grenades for prime minister Malcolm Turnbull in the past couple of days.

Dr Jensen, who’s considering running as an independent after losing party preselection last month, savaged Tuesday’s federal Budget as “a fudged opportunity” that failed to tackle the country’s $37 billion deficit.

“No real attempt to reign (sic) it in, just more spend,” Dr Jensen posted to Facebook.

A day later his rage hadn’t dissipated: “If [Matthias] Cormann was more focussed on his job as finance minister, and less as powerbroker arranging preselection, would be less deficit,” he tweeted.

“God help us if global interest rates go up. The small business tax relief is a good thing, but seriously, going 10 years into the future?”

“Where is someone like a Peter Costello when you need him?” he wistfully asked. “I contrast this term in government with the first term of the Howard government, where very real things were done to bring down the debt. Here it is being added to … shame.”

Earlier in the week, Dr Jensen added to a growing fracture in the Liberal party by publicly backing a royal commission into banks — a sore point given Labor has pledged one if it wins office while Mr Turnbull has ruled one out.

“We really need to have a thorough review of the banks; indeed, in my view a royal commission into the behaviour of the banks,” Dr Jensen said.

by STEVE GRANT