Peta Credlin takes blame for Hockey’s much-despised budget

Peta Credlin says she is partly to blame for the much maligned 2014/15 budget handed down by then treasurer Joe Hockey.

The former Chief-of-Staff to Tony Abbott told The Bolt Report prime minster Malcolm Turnbull needed to do more to sell is economic plans to the public to make up for the harsh reviews of Hockey’s first budget.

She warned him to be careful of releasing budget plans “from a great height” without properly explaining them to voters first.

“We’re back to the situation where they (the government) were last year, that they missed the opportunity in March and April to set themselves up for the budget,” she said.

“Because when you drop the budget from a great height, on that second week in May, if it hasn’t been sold in and the ground’s not prepared …

“That’s one of the faults of the Hockey budget, and the Abbott budget, that first budget, when it was dropped on people from a great height.

“I bear responsibility. I don’t think there was enough preparation for it.

“Well, that’s been the calamity for this government last year, and unfortunately it looks like it’s the same this year.”

Both Abbott and Hockey faced harsh criticism after handing down their first together, with voters calling them out of touch.

Are you surprised to hear this admission from Peta Credlin? Did you think the 2014/15 budget was too harsh?