JOE Hockey has let Australians into a little secret about the woman who helped shape the Federal Budget.

“I want to make a little confession to my wife,” he said beginning the annual post-Budget address to the National Press Club in Parliament House.

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“Over the last few months there has been another woman in my life. She’s 72 years of age and her name is Margaret from Langwarrin in Victoria.”

The Treasurer revealed the self-funded retiree and mother of four sent him her story with some pictures.

“I was captured. I rang her and had a chat,” he said.

“She told me how much her income is and you would hardly suggest she is totally self-funded. She grows her own vegetables. Her husband lost his job in 1991. He was made redundant. People around her have been made redundant in more recent times from factories.

“Her message to me throughout the entire development process of the Budget was ‘Be brave, be true and remember that we have to forge our destiny’.”

“She said ‘Be true to yourself, put in place the things that are going to grow the nation because I am ready to do more’. That’s what she said.”

Mr Hockey said the more he spoke with Margaret the more he came to realise the government needed to build for the future and everyone had an obligation to play a part.