WA Premier Mark McGowan accuses Commonwealth of ‘attacking’ Labor states

WA Premier Mark McGowan has weighed in on the Morrison Government’s border stoush with Queensland and offered some advice to the PM.

The Morrison Government is “attacking” Labor states to score political points during the COVID-19 pandemic and should not be raising issues with radio shocks jocks, WA Premier Mark McGowan says.

A row erupted this week after Prime Minister Scott Morrison told a radio program he had called Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, urging her to overrule a decision to prevent Sarah Caisip from attending her father’s funeral because she had not completed her quarantine period.

Mr McGowan said he would prefer issues to be dealt with behind closed doors.

“That would be a better resolution to these matters rather than being raised on radio programs with shock jocks,” he told reporters on Friday.

“I think perhaps there has been some action against the Queensland Government on the basis they’ve got an election in a couple of months time.

“I just urge everyone at a national level to pull back on partisan attacks. You can’t just attack Labor states and ignore Liberal states.”

Asked if the Morrison Government had been unduly partisan with their criticism of Queensland, Mr McGowan said: “Characters like Peter Dutton go too far … he’s been over the top.”

WA Premier Mark McGowan claims Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his government have been criticising Labor states. Picture: AAP Image/Lukas Coch

The Premier also lumped Treasurer Josh Frydenberg into his criticism.

“We (states and territories) have worked co-operatively with the Commonwealth on the international border,” he said.

“I just request that the Commonwealth show the same respect for the states when we’re dealing with other states that have high or have had levels of infection.

“It’s exactly the same principle.”

Mr McGowan added there had been no Commonwealth criticism of Tasmania, which was the first state to introduce a border, because it is a Liberal government.

WA has also been dealing with difficult exemption cases, and Mr McGowan says it is about trying to balance health concerns with compassion.

“Sometimes we get it right, sometimes we get it wrong … we’re trying to save people’s lives,” he said.

The Premier also revealed flights for Australians wanting to come home from overseas were not full.

Mr McGowan has demanded the Commonwealth show states and territories some respect. Picture: AAP Image/Richard Wainwright

Meanwhile, the WA government has announced an asymptomatic COVID-19 testing program targeting groups at higher risk than the general public.

It will involve voluntary weekly testing for people at border checkpoints, ports, police dealing with those in quarantine and security staff at hotels.

“People working in those areas are heroic, they are defending our state, they’re doing the right thing by all of us, and we want to make sure that they are protected and also have knowledge if they acquire the illness,” Mr McGowan said.

The program will be available until November 30.

WA recorded no new coronavirus cases overnight, leaving the state’s tally at 659 infections, and there has been no community spread for five months.