Leading G20 an enormous workload: Hockey

Joe Hockey received some extra international homework when he became treasurer.

Mr Hockey said chairing the G20 while also preparing a federal budget was a challenge.

"That has been an enormous workload, which I didn't fully appreciate when I was made treasurer," Mr Hockey told a luncheon in Melbourne on Friday.

Australia is chairing the G20 for the first time, and will host a leaders summit in November.

Mr Hockey said at first he was worried about how he would go leading finance meetings with the heads of the world's biggest economies.

"I thought you've just got to be yourself - (a) straight-talking Australian," he said.

"And their relief at the straight talk was palpable."

Mr Hockey said he was encouraging the G20 countries to "let people get on with their lives".

"We can't regulate our way to prosperity. We want to get away from the concept of more regulation and more taxes," he said.