Joe Hockey steps back from his apology, says comments were misinterpreted

UNDER-FIRE Treasurer Joe Hockey was forced into a humiliating backdown on Friday. Less than a week later and he seems to be walking it back.

Not biting his tongue anymore. Photo: News Corp

ANALYSIS: Joe Hockey has stepped back from last week’s humiliating apology and insisted he’d done nothing wrong when he suggested an increase in the fuel excise was a progressive tax measure.

The battered Treasurer said he was not going to indulge in self-pity over the furious response to his suggestion higher petrol costs wouldn’t hurt low income earners.

But he was resolute that the furore surrounding his comments was not his fault.

Speaking on Geelong radio station Bay FM this morning, Mr Hockey attempted to avoid further mention of his argument that a rise in fuel excise was a progressive tax because the poor either don’t own cars or drive little.

That statement was a mistake in economic terms, as while low income earners might spend less than the well-off on petrol, it is a greater slice of their income, and so a relatively greater burden.

Mr Hockey last Friday issued a grovelling apology for any suggestion he did not care about the poor, and today he was asked if his words had been twisted.

“Look I think anyone who actually looks at what I actually said as opposed to what people were reporting that I said might form that view,” said.

Not biting his tongue anymore. Photo: News Corp

“But any words I use now will be, again, misinterpreted. I just move on with what we’re doing and focus on the job that I have, which is to get the Budget through, to lay down the plan to fix the economy.”

Mr Hockey said politics was a tough game “and if you don’t want to do the right things for the country then you should get out”.

“I am not going to indulge in self-pity, That would be a very conceited thing to do,” he said.

“I am focused on what needs to be done. The best thing that I can do is, when it comes to the economy, lift the tide so that all boats rise.”

This is what Mr Hockey said on Brisbane radio last Wednesday:

“What we’re asking is for everyone to contribute, including higher income people.

“Now, I’ll give you one example: the change to fuel excise, the people that actually pay the most are higher income people, with an increase in fuel excise and yet, the Labor Party and the Greens are opposing it.

“They say you’ve got to have wealthier people or middle-income people pay more. Well, change to the fuel excise does exactly that; the poorest people either don’t have cars or actually don’t drive very far in many cases. But, they are opposing what is meant to be, according to the Treasury, a progressive tax.”

Originally published as Joe Hockey steps back from his apology, says comments were misinterpreted