The Federal Treasurer believes the Opposition’s refusal to back the entirety of his attempted debt ceiling lift could lead to a government shut-down, as recently happened in the United States.

Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey says he needs to raise the roof to the tune of $500 billion dollars, but the Opposition says $400 billion would be enough.

Mr Hockey had previously said the ceiling needed to be raised in order to avoid a budgetary shortfall that might bring on a government shut-down.

Now, the figure he proposed has prompted the argument that could lead to the very thing he sought to avoid.

Mr Hockey says he needs the whole half-trillion.

“The debt limit is being hit on December 12, and I want to know if the Labor Party thinks it is so heroic to go down the path of starting to close down Government services, because we may need to exceed that debt limit,” the Treasurer said.

Opposition finance spokesman Tony Burke said; “to think that he can play a game as though he is still an Opposition Treasury spokesperson is just naive and childish.”

Just over eighteen months ago Mr Hockey opposed the raising of the debt ceiling from $250 billion to $300 billion, where it now stands.

The issue seems likely to fall to the turbulent Senate for final word, after the Greens indicated they supported a figure closer to $400 billion.