A crowdfunding campaign to “buy Duncan Storrar a toaster” has blown past its original goal of $6000 after the Aussie battler became a social media sensation following his appearance on Q&A on Monday night.

His question regarding the budget lifting the tax threshold over $80,000 raised mixed responses from panel members, particularly from Assistant Treasurer and Small Business Minister Kelly O’Dwyer.

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“I’ve got a disability and a low education, that means I’ve spent my whole life working for minimum wage. You’re going to lift the tax-free threshold for rich people,” Mr Storrar directed to the panel.

“If you lift my tax-free threshold, that changes my life. That means that I get to say to my little girls, ‘Daddy’s not broke this weekend, we can go to the pictures’.

“Rich people don’t even notice their tax-free threshold lift. Why don’t I get it? Why do they get it?”

Minister for Small Business and Assistant Treasurer Kelly O’Dwyer, Shadow Assistant Treasurer Andrew Leigh, Greens Member for Melbourne Adam Bandt, Australian Council of Social Service CEO Cassandra Goldie and Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox were on Monday night’s panel. Photo: ABC

During Ms O’Dwyer’s response she used the example of company tax cuts which would help businesses improve – like a $6000 toaster for a cafe.

“We have a company tax cut with small business with a turnover of $2 million and $20 million … it creates more jobs,” she said.

“One of the cafe owners I spoke to the other day has got a turnover of just over $2 million. As a result of our change … he will have access to the instant asset write-off, which means he can invest in his business, a $6000 toaster.

“[It] means he can get more customers through his business on a Saturday, when there’s a bottleneck … ’cause toast is that bottleneck he needs to clear in order get more people in.”

There was an outpouring of support on social media with tweets including the hashtag #IstandwithDuncan and #DuncanforPM.

The Buy Duncan Storrar a Toaster crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe was created by user Samuel Slammer Fawcett on Tuesday with a goal of $6000.

“Hey – Duncan seems like a good bloke and every little bit of cash goes a long way,” the campaign states.

“We reckon he deserves a bit of a helping hand so we’ve decided to buy him a new toaster.

“6 grand oughtta (sic) cover it. And if he has a little bit left over, maybe he can take his kids to the movies or something.”

By Wednesday afternoon, it had raised more than $39,000 with almost 1500 donations in 23 hours.

Late on Tuesday night Mr Fawcett shared a campaign update: “Hey toaster lovers. Grab yourselves a piece of toast and watch this tick over 6K! By the time you read this we will probably have hit the goal.”