NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet’s answers to your Covid questions

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet has answered Daily Telegraph readers’ questions on the state’s Covid recovery. Recap the conversation here.

Recap the live conversation with NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet from midday-1pm in the comments below.

Residents and businesses in Covid hotspot areas should receive the same freedoms as parts of Sydney with low virus cases when restrictions ease, Dominic Perrottet says.

The NSW Treasurer declared we must not see a “tale of two cities” when vaccination targets are met, remarks that are at odds with Premier Gladys Berejiklian, who has repeatedly refused to be drawn on whether freedoms will be reinstated equally across Sydney.

The Premier came under fire on Tuesday over leaked plans to “pilot” reopening in local government areas with low case numbers and high inoculation rates.

Despite concerns amid high case numbers, Mr Perrottet said Western and southwest Sydney should reopen at the same time as the rest of the city to avoid a two-speed recovery.

Treasurer Dominic Perrottet took questions from Daily Telegraph readers on Wednesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Christian Gilles

“This is not a tale of two cities. We’ve been through this together, and we’re going to come out of it together as well,” he told the Telegraph.

He said it was “critical to fast-track the recovery” for areas that had been “doing it tough” during the record-setting outbreak.

Despite praising hotspot LGAs for achieving higher vaccination rates than other areas, Ms Berejiklian has repeatedly declined to say whether the areas under the toughest lockdown measures would get the same freedoms as other parts of the state.

“Our intention is that everybody who has 70 per cent double vaccination moves forward and has much more freedom than what we do today,” Ms Berejiklian said on Tuesday.

Mr Perrottet said that when vaccination targets were met, freedoms should be applied “equally,” in line with the “national plan”.

“When Joh Bailey can open in Double Bay, so should Joe’s Barber Shop in Padstow,” he said.

“The pubs in Penrith should open at the same time as the pubs in Paddington.”

It came after state and federal Labor figures criticised the Premier over plans to “pilot” a trial reopening in certain areas in mid-October.

Federal Labor frontbencher Bill Shorten said reopening plans should be “one in, all in,” after similar sentiments from NSW leader Chris Minns.

Mr Perrottet will host an online forum on Thursday with business and community leaders from Western Sydney to develop strategies to kick start the economy. Planning for the forum began last week.

The near-deserted streets of Bankstown, which Mr Perrottet says should re-open at the same time as areas with lower Covid case numbers. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gaye Gerard

The Treasurer, who has previously opposed lockdown extensions on the grounds it would cause devastating harm to businesses across Greater Sydney, has pledged to read “every single” idea submitted to him.

“We want to hear from those at the coalface about the solutions needed to overcome the challenges they’re facing as we plan to re-open,” Mr Perrottet said.

Dominic Perrottet says he will listen to every idea put to him. Picture: Justin Lloyd

“We don’t want any ideas left on the table when it comes to getting Western and southwestern Sydney back up and running.”

The forum will be co-hosted by Minister for Western Sydney Stuart Ayres, and opened by Ms Berejiklian.

Mr Perrottet also answered questions from readers for an hour live on The Daily Telegraph’s website between noon and 1pm on Wednesday.

Small Business Commissioner Chris Lamont also joined to answer questions.

Originally published as NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet’s answers to your Covid questions