NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet will ‘do everything in my power’ to avoid second lockdown

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet says he will do “everything in my power’ to avoid a second lockdown, worrying it would have a catastrophic impact on the economy.

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet has vowed to do “everything in my power” to avoid a second lockdown in NSW after it was revealed Victoria’s new restrictions were costing the nation $3 billion.

Speaking to Ben Fordham on 2GB, Mr Perrottet said the country was facing a “dual crisis” and needed to maintain a “delicate balance”.

“There’s a health crisis and it’s our responsibility to keep people safe, but let’s not forget – I saw those sobering numbers come out of the Federal Government – it’s an economic crisis too, and we can’t afford the cure to be worse than the disease.”

Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg released an economic update on Thursday, flagging a deficit of $86 billion, the largest the nation has seen since World War II.

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet is desperate to avoid a second lockdown. Picture: Richard Dobson

Previewing the release on the Today show earlier that morning, Mr Frydenberg said the numbers around debt and deficit would be “eye watering”.

“That’s the harsh reality of this pandemic,” he said.

“The coronavirus has required the Government to spend unprecedented amounts of money to support people in need.”

Mr Perrottet said businesses were still doing it tough, and the JobKeeper program could not last forever. The Treasurer said he wanted to see more people in sustainable work, something that would be near impossible with a second lockdown.

“I will do everything in my power to ensure that (second lockdown) doesn’t happen,” he said.