With Tony Abbott feeling the pressure to step aside from the top job, does Joe Hockey feel the same way. Courtesy: 7:30 Report

TREASURER Joe Hockey has lectured cabinet on the changes new technology is imposing on the economy and employment — from Spotify to Uber.

He has pointed to Netflix competing with traditional television and Spotify reducing the popularity of some radio networks.

The lecture was aimed at justifying the new Budget strategy to boost assistance to small businesses, many of which are expected to based on new technologies.

Potentially these businesses will provide the jobs now being lost from traditional employment areas such a mining and manufacturing.

Mr Hockey warned, during his lecture last week, that technology was deregulating the economy faster than governments could hope to do.

The Treasurer, who reportedly should be uncertain about his own job, said mainstream employment sources were becoming less important.

“The jobs are in Uber,” a source quoted Mr Hockey as saying, referring to the online taxi service which is challenging conventional cab operations.

While Uber is unlikely to expand to become a major source of work, Mr Hockey was making the point technology was creating jobs in areas which didn’t exist a few years ago.

He used the argument to support his plans to boost small business growth through a 1.5 per cent tax cut and other measures to be revealed in the May Budget.

Cabinet has been told that big business — even the retail giants such as Coles and Woolworths — will not be able to produce the necessary employment.

Meanwhile, Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull today said he had full confidence in his friend Mr Hockey as Treasurer and said he had never sought or been offered his job.

“The Prime Minister has never asked me or suggested to me in any way that he would appoint me Treasurer,” Mr Turnbull told reporters.

“So everyone’s expressing views. There’s a bit of Fantasy Football going on.”

He said he would not “break the confidence” of what colleagues had said to him.

Uber agrees with Treasurer Hockey and today said has plans to create 20,000 Australian jobs in 2015.

The company’s senior vice-president David Plouffe said it was a creative challenge to open up economic opportunity in every city.

The company said today: “These drivers help power their city’s economy, keep our roads safer and reduce congestion.”