Clive Palmer says his party won’t support a rise in the pension age, which has been a major focus of pre-budget speculation.

Treasurer Joe Hockey last week described any increase in the pension age as an “inevitability”, but stopped short of confirming his first budget will lift it to 70.

Mr Palmer, whose Palmer United Party will soon hold the balance of power in the Senate with other crossbenchers, said he would not back a rise in pension age.

“I just couldn’t employ Joe Hockey or Tony Abbott at 69, no matter how competent they are,” Mr Palmer told ABC Television on Sunday.

“They wouldn’t have a good future and I wouldn’t invest the time in training them because they would be retiring the next year.”