Probably going to echo some of the sentiments here, b ut - its not an either/or proposition, the way some of the press and the coalition are presenting the problem, No one can seriously argue that we have been spending more that we should have done, for several decades now, much like the rest of the developed worlds.
The critical issue here is timing.This coalition government made a statement of choice - to attempt to address the deficit in one parliamentary term. The payback term could be any length we like, and the level of pain associated with large scale cutbacks in public spending could be ameliorated by a greater time scale. Take 2 terms to payback - the markets wont care - all they want is a firm commitment that they will get a return on their investment - a longer term would probably in fact suit them!