Rational debate hard with new media: Truss

Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss has blamed social media for making it difficult for politicians to have rational debates about policy.

In paying tribute to retiring former treasurer Joe Hockey, the 67-year-old said modern media meant the critics of "the most seemingly near-perfect" policies were "always there".

"The reality is, you can always search long enough and hard enough to find somebody who would be opposed and they get equal billing," Mr Truss told parliament on Wednesday.