Why we’re suddenly seeing more of Joe Hockey

THE Treasurer has come out from under the political doona and is demanding authority after a couple of tough months personally.

Question Time

ANALYSIS

JOE Hockey has come out from under the political doona and is demanding authority on the economic debate after a couple of tough months personally.

He is shaking off controversy he caused with comments on the driving habits of poor people and his “get a job” advice to first home buyers, and lingering criticism of his 2014 Budget.

Mr Hockey is being more positive about the national economy than he has been for some time, again championing the dominance of the services sector to fill the ground left by a retreating resources industry. And to create jobs.

He has kicked off a widespread taxation reform debate with a pledge to cut income tax.

It has been a burst of activity compared to July. The Treasurer spent that month on holidays or dealing with private matters such his defamation action against Fairfax Media and the question of who would pay costs.

Just three press releases were issued in Mr Hockey’s name for the entire month, according to his website.

But over the 25 days of August so far the number of official Hockey announcements has more than tripled and he has given extensive interviews to national newspapers and radio and television networks, and plans to talk to the rest of the world through the authoritative Wall Street Journal.

It is largely a political offensive and remedial work on his record as Treasurer. Mr Hockey has some ground to pick up with voters.

He was the most disapproved of in a group of seven top ministers rated in an August 17 survey by Essential Media. His disapproval rating was 48 per cent. Mr Hockey’s approval rating was 31 per cent, compared to 56 per cent for Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and 47 per cent for Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Today, he continued his push for tax changes to help wage earners who soon could suffer from major bracket creep — when wage rises put them into higher tax brackets but the buying power of their pay packet declines.

Mr Hockey was pre-empting his own tax white paper due late in the year, and did not explain how he would achieve the estimated $25 billion in cuts over four years while still delivering a surplus in 2020.

He left hanging the possibility of tax rises elsewhere, possibly a broader base for the GST.

Wage earners would have liked the idea of a tax cut but business wanted some idea about relief for them as well

“There’s a little bit of a concern there that we are not at the point of actually doing things when it comes ton tax reform,” said the Australian Industry Group’s Innes Willox today on ABC radio.