For most rural Australians, particularly farm-business managers, fuel costs are a significant part of a weekly budget.

While the Treasurer Joe Hockey this morning defended his claim that many poor people won't be affected by an increase to the fuel excise because they don't have cars, voters in the NSW rural Federal electorates of Parkes and Eden-Monaro remain perplexed and annoyed by the comments.

ABC Rural spoke with residents in Bega and Coonamble about the Treasurer's remarks.

"He's a fool, he's a fool. If he believes that, he believes in the tooth fairy."

"I drive in my own car and any rise in the fuel tax will affect me. Of course it will."

"It is pretty unfair. He is not realising that in a rural area work is pretty spread out."

"For someone that is supposed to be leading the country, he obviously doesn't have any idea."

"People who live in the country, everyone has a car, poor people have to have a car and they travel long distances."

"I though he would be better advised on the issue and show a lot more commonsense."

"He's making statements without looking at the issues."

"There would be a lot of walking, because there is not a lot of public transport."

"Farmers use a lot of fuel and they contribute a fair bit to fuel taxes and excise, and country people do a lot more miles than anyone else and they are contributing a fair proportion of their income to fuel taxes and excise."