There’s probably a big ole’ cigar and a glass of port waiting for Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey in his chambers to help take the edge off what’s been a rather trying week for him.
The whole “poor people don’t drive cars” saga has come to an end today, with Hockey unreservedly apologising for his own remarks that he made on Wednesday.
At the time, Hockey was using the increased fuel excise as an area where high income earners are hit worse than those in the lower brackets, using the now-infamous statement:
“The people that actually pay the most are higher income people. 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.“
Not only did he endure public and media outcry over the verbal misstep, but his own party distanced themselves from the remarks, seemingly hanging him out to dry. Despite standing by his comments again yesterday, insisting that he had statistical evidence to support his – let’s be real here, completely ridiculous claim, senior members of the Liberal party would not support the statement when asked; though they all universally backed the Treasurer himself.
Both Education Minister Christopher Pyne and Prime Minister Tony Abbott refused to support Hockey’s gaffe, with the later stating that “Well plainly, I wouldn’t say that.“
And all this culminated with a decidedly meeker Hockey appearing on 2GB with Ben Fordham to formally apologise for the remarks.
“I am really genuinely sorry that there is any suggestion, any suggestion at all that I or the government does not care for the most disadvantaged in the community. I’m sorry about the interpretation, I am sorry about the words.“
“All of my life I have fought for and tried to help the most disadvantaged people in the community. For there to be some suggestion that I have evil in my heart when it comes to the most disadvantaged people in the community is upsetting. But it’s more upsetting for those people in the community.“
“So I want to make it perfectly clear to the community that if there’s any suggestion that I don’t care about you or that I have evil intent toward you, I want to say that couldn’t be further from the truth and I’m sorry for the hurt.“
Look, it’s alright Joe. Sit down, big guy. No, no, no. We’re not mad. Everything’s fine. It really is. It’s just that… y’know… if you want to be seen as someone who helps the disadvantaged, maybe you shouldn’t make blanket statements about their driving habits.
Or maybe you should do a little bit more to keep the cigar smoking out of sight from the media.
Or maybe you should refrain from dancing in the hours before you deliver a budget that cuts them off at the knees.
If you want to be seen as someone who helps the disadvantaged, maybe you should just… I don’t know… help the disadvantaged.
Just a thought.
Photo: James Alcock via Getty Images.
via SMH.
