Tony Abbott says Joe Hockey won’t be sacked if the budget is a flop

TONY Abbott says Joe Hockey won’t be sacked if the Budget is a flop and that all ministers involved in the decision making need to be held responsible.

TONY Abbott says Joe Hockey will remain as Treasurer through to the next election, hosing down speculation he will be sacked.

The Prime Minister said the budget was a “team effort” and reports suggesting that Mr Hockey would be sacked if next week’s budget is dismal were just wrong.

“It’s a good budget and I think it will be well received,” Mr Abbott told 3AW’s Neil Mitchell.

“Yes he will,” Mr Abbott said when asked if Mr Hockey would continue in his job to the next election.

Mr Abbott said reports in The Australian that chief whip Scott Buchholz had come to the Prime Minister to relay apparent concerns by Coalition MPs that Mr Hockey should be sacked if the budget tanks were a “complete fabrication”.

Joint responsibility ... Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the budget was a team effort. Picture: Colin Murty

He said the budget was a “collective responsibility” of senior ministers and no one minister was responsible.

“If the budget doesn’t go well, the government will suffer.”

Mr Abbott named himself, Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss, Mr Hockey, Social Services Minister Scott Morrison, Finance Minister Mathias Cormann and Assistant Treasurer Josh Frydenberg as ministers all responsible for the success or failure of the budget.

The men all sit on the powerful Expenditure Review Committee (ERC).

The Prime Minister said he had spoken to both Mr Buchholz and Mr Hockey this morning to assure them the report in The Australian was a “complete invention”.

“He didn’t speak to me, I didn’t speak to him. It is a complete invention,” he said.

Mr Abbott said the budget ultimately reflected on the government, not one individual minister.

“We are a team, we are a very good team,” he said.

Here to stay ... Treasurer Joe Hockey will remain treasurer until the next election said Tony Abbott. Picture: Kym Smith

“The budget belongs to no individual minister. It belongs to all of us.

“It’s collective responsibility, that’s how our government works.”

Coalition sources told News Corp Australia this morning that if the budget flopped it would put a spotlight on a potential change of leadership yet again.

One senior source said “there can’t just be a focus on Joe (Hockey) because it’s a joint decision”.

Another minister said: “it’s unfair and unhelpful for people to put it all on Joe. The budget is the responsibility of more people than the treasurer alone and the selling of it falls upon all of our shoulders”.

One of the members of the ERC told News Corp Australia “that’s ridiculous” when asked about the suggestion Mr Hockey would be sacked.

Originally published as Tony Abbott says Joe Hockey won’t be sacked if the budget is a flop