PM's class war line offensive: Hockey

11 May 2012, 10:40 am   -   Source: AAP

Shadow treasurer Joe Hockey, who hails from Sydney's lower north shore, says all Australians should be upset with the government's "class warfare".

All Australians should be offended by Prime Minister Julia Gillard's playing of class warfare, shadow treasurer Joe Hockey says.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott used his budget reply speech on Thursday night to accuse the government of playing the "class war card" and deepening Australia's debt levels.

It comes after Ms Gillard urged Mr Abbott to get out of Sydney's north shore and talk to real working families.

Mr Hockey continued the class war attack on Friday morning, pointing out that many residents in his electorate on Sydney's lower north shore lived in housing commission flats.

"All Australians should be offended. I despise this class warfare line, I despise the suggestion that a prime minister makes that Australians should turn against Australians based on where they live or what their income is," he told the Seven Network.

"A prime minister is meant to bring people together, unite the nation.

"People have come from all around the world to come to Australia and they've done so because they've been running away from class warfare."

But Labor frontbencher Tony Burke said Mr Abbott was the one who opposed working families by opposing the government's school bonus program, which gives $410 a year for primary school children and $820 annually for those at high school.

"Let's not forget the extraordinary situation that we've been dealing with this week where we've been trying to work out why on earth Tony Abbott has fallen this far out of touch with working families," he told the Seven Network.

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