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William Hurt, the Oscar-winning actor known for his roles in movies such as Kiss Of The Spider Woman and Broadcast News, has died at the age of 71.

"It is with great sadness that the Hurt family mourns the passing of William Hurt, beloved father and Oscar winning actor, on March 13, 2022, one week before his 72nd birthday," the actor's son, Will, said in a statement on Sunday.

"He died peacefully, among family, of natural causes. The family requests privacy at this time."

The actor disclosed in 2018 that he had been diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer which had spread to the bone, although at the time he credited an alternative form of chemotherapy with saving his life, according to media reports.

Hurt's death was also confirmed to Variety by his friend, Gerry Byrne.

Hurt was one of the most celebrated actors of the 1980s. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as a gay man who shares a cell with a political prisoner in Brazil in 1985's Kiss Of The Spider Woman.

He also received Best Actor nominations for 1987's Broadcast News, a satire of the news industry, and for 1986's Children Of A Lesser God, a romantic drama set in a school for the deaf.

© RAW 2022

Scott Morrison says the government will seek to ease cost of living pressures in the federal budget but warns factors behind higher petrol prices need to be addressed at a global level.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will deliver his fourth budget on March 29 ahead of an expected May election, which opinion polls indicate the coalition could lose.

The budget is expected to include a slightly better than expected deficit, but debt heading towards $1 trillion.

The prime minister and Mr Frydenberg have been framing the budget around the theme of strong economic management delivering the jobs, services and national security that Australians need.

Mr Morrison says Australians are well aware the price of petrol - which is hovering around $2.20 a litre - is being driven up by the Russia-Ukraine war.

With some interest groups pressing for a cut in fuel excise - which adds about 44 cents a litre at the bowser - Mr Morrison won't reveal what the government has planned.

But he told Nine on Sunday an excise cut might not make much of a difference given that the petrol price has already lifted from around $1.70 to $2.20 - more than the full cost of the excise.

He said the government would work with other countries to release fuel reserves and ease pressure on petrol prices.

"The things we can do, we do, and the things we can't do anything about, well, we understand them and work with other countries around the world to try and relieve those pressures," he said.

With cost of living pressures shaping up as a key election issue the latest Newspoll shows support for the two major parties is unchanged from two weeks ago.

The coalition government is sitting on 45 per cent on a two-party preferred basis, trailing Labor on 55 per cent, the poll published in The Australian on Monday found.

But Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has ticked up on the preferred prime minister measure to now equal Mr Morrison on 42 per cent.

Mr Frydenberg has flagged further investment in defence to take the total military spend to just over two per cent of gross domestic product.

The budget will also include a women's economic statement, more funding for skills and manufacturing and a strong focus on the regions to generate jobs.

It remains unclear whether the government will extend the low and middle-income tax offset, which provides up to $1080 a year to 10 million Australians on an income of less than $126,900.

Finance Minister Simon Birmingham said the government would "double down" on lower income tax settings to help with the cost of living.

"Right now our income tax cuts are providing around $1.5 billion a month extra into the pockets of hard-working Australian households and it's that type of disposable income that is necessary and helpful to deal with these sorts of pressures," he said.

The budget papers will show a bringing forward of child care subsidy changes from July 1 to March 7, to cost around $224 million in 2021/22 and $670 million a year ongoing.

And there will be record spending on health and infrastructure.

"Our government is getting the job done by delivering the infrastructure needed to improve regional roads that were neglected and left to deteriorate under Labor," Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce said.

© AAP 2022

Gold Coast Titans coach Justin Holbrook has claimed his side don't get the rub of the green from NRL referees and the bunker because they aren't one of the game's big clubs.

Holbrook's side went down 32-28 away to Parramatta on Sunday with the normally composed Titans coach teeing off at the standard of officiating from referee Grant Atkins and the bunker.

Parramatta got the better of the penalty count (7-1) but Holbrook's main bone of contention was with the captain's challenges.

Early in the second half the Titans were on the attack through five-eighth Will Smith when he was entangled in a tackle with Eels halfback Mitchell Moses.

Moses was penalised for interference but opted to challenge the decision and won on review.

Later in the game the tables had been turned with the Eels' Ray Stone the ball carrier and Titans prop Isaac Liu penalised for attempting to clear the ruck.

Replays showed Stone had placed the ball on Liu's foot, which left Holbrook incensed given Moses was able to tie the scores up with a penalty from right in front of the Titans' posts.

"I'm not here to take anything away from Parramatta, it's about us not being one of the big clubs and not getting anything," he said.

"If they're 50-50 calls make them 50-50s. I'm not asking for 7-1 (in the penalty count) and 3-0 (in the captain's challenges).

"We're peppering their line and there's a captain challenge about the leg touching the ball, 20 minutes later we're in the ruck ... someone tell me the difference?

"It has a big bearing on the game. Make it 50-50 or get rid of the captain's challenge because it's never favoured us."

Captain Tino Fa'asuamaleaui was also penalised for an escort on Clint Gutherson which allowed Moses to put the Eels ahead late on.

Initially Atkins didn't blow for the call but after intervention awarded the home side a penalty.

"The referee cleared that and then gets the call and overturns it," Holbrook said.

"If you're going to do that, overturn them all. Go with the officials or don't go with them. You can't pick and choose."

© AAP 2022