COVID crisis: Mark McGowan accuses ScoMo of ignoring those hurting in WA & takes another swipe at NSW lockdown

Mark McGowan has accused the Prime Minister of refusing to acknowledge that WA had the deadly Delta COVID strain and “crushed it” while taking another swipe at NSW’s failure to do the same. The Premier’s spray at Scott Morrison came after Queensland was made eligible for weekly COVID disaster payments — but West Australians were not offered the same during WA’s four-day lockdown in June. It caused Mr McGowan to slam the Federal Government for ignoring those hurting in WA while pandering to the Eastern States. Services Australia general manager Hank Jongen said that Victorians and South Australians would also be able to “retrospectively” access up to $750 in payments for their lockdowns last month. Mr McGowan last month wrote to Mr Morrison requesting payments for West Australians impacted by the June lockdown — but the State remains ineligible under the system agreed by National Cabinet. The Premier said WA was being poorly treated. “What I think happened over east is I don’t think they actually realised we had the Delta strain and we locked down and we crushed and killed it,” Mr McGowan said. “I don’t think there was any recognition over east that occurred. “And no matter how much we say it, I don’t think they really understand and I don’t think they know much about Western Australia. “They don’t seem to realise that we had the Delta virus, we had to lockdown for four days, then three days of interim restrictions, than a week of softer restrictions. “We didn’t receive any help from the Commonwealth Government. “The other States are — it really isn’t a fair arrangement.” Queensland was granted the disaster payment after its initial three-day lockdown, which has now been extended until Sunday after 13 new cases today. Mr McGowan also took a shot at NSW for its “half-hearted lockdown”, with the State recording another 207 new cases and a death today. Mr McGowan has been critical of NSW for not cracking down on its outbreak sooner and was worried about the State coming out of lockdown too soon. Premier Gladys Berejiklian said today that a “combination of case numbers and vaccination rates” would determine whether Sydney was released from lockdown at the end of this month. “The agreement at National Cabinet last Friday was when your State reaches 70 per cent vaccination and an average of all the States is above 70 per cent vaccination, then you can move to what’s called phase B,” Mr McGowan said. “That was the agreement. So if NSW is doing something different to that, that would be contrary to the agreement.” Mr McGowan warned West Australians in Queensland to return home before a possible crackdown on travel exemptions for compassionate reasons, as has happened with NSW. WA has a hard border with Queensland, NSW, Victoria and SA. “All I would say to West Australians in Queensland, my advice would be to come home as soon as possible,” Mr McGowan said. “Staying in Queensland in this environment is not wise.” WA recorded one new COVID case overnight, a returned traveller in hotel quarantine.