Treasurer Wayne Swan is engaging in a class war by criticising people such as mining magnate Clive Palmer, opposition treasury spokesman Joe Hockey says.
Mr Swan told the National Press Club in Canberra on Monday it was more difficult now than 25 years ago to achieve major policy reform - such as Labor's planned minerals resource rent tax - because a small group of people with vested interests wielded enormous wealth and power.
He said it had made his stomach churn to read Mr Palmer's comments that his responsibility was to his shareholders and workers and not to the public.
"What I say to people like Mr Palmer is they don't get rich on their own," Mr Swan said.
But Mr Hockey attacked the comments, saying Mr Swan was declaring war on people who were ambitious.
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"I really resent the way the treasurer engages in this sort of envy in the class war because it diminishes us as a country when we have senior political figures playing these sort of games," he told reporters in Sydney. He described the treasurer's speech as "confused".
"He (Mr Swan) says that when it comes to climbing the ladder of opportunity, Australia is at the top and yet he declares war on the people who help to create opportunities.
"You don't grow the pie by shooting the chef. "If people are profitable, if people are successful, let's say it is a good thing.
"Profit is not evil because at the end of the day we all benefit."
