Coronavirus Australia: Covid-19 disaster payment PM had no choice but to make

Scott Morrison announces the disaster payment at a press conference at Parliament House on Thursday. Picture: Sam Mooy/Getty Images)

Scott Morrison has been forced to buy into giving support to Victorians again faced with lockdown.

The Prime Minister had no choice in principle or politics but has tried to manage the payment so that it is very limited, is not seen just as a Victorian payment, nationalises the decision, shares responsibility and tries to avoid blame.

By treating the payment as a “disaster payout”, which rests on the federal definition of a Covid hot spot breakout, strictly limiting the payments with time limits, bank balances, days in lockdown and to $500 and $325 a week Morrison has tried to limit the cost and spread responsibility.

The final carve up of what the Commonwealth and States pay – sharing payments for households and businesses – will be made at the National Cabinet meeting on Friday.

Josh Frydenberg said the costs will depend on demand but there are early estimates of around $50 million a week.

There will be arguments that it’s not enough and the requirement of having less than $10,000 in liquid assets is too onerous.

Morrison and the Treasurer argue that it's a national disaster which needed federal input. It is not a localised JobKeeper is Frydenberg’s refrain.

Of course, the politics of the decision, no matter how much it is nationalised or shared by Premiers and Territory leaders, will be seen as a reaction to the slow vaccine rollout.

Again, of course, Morrison said this is not the case, that the Morrison Government is not conceding any responsibility for the latest Victorian outbreak.

“Focusing on what Australians need,” Morrison said: “that’s what it’s about, working collaboratively to save jobs and save livelihoods” Morrison has tried to do the minimum with cost and the maximum with spreading responsibility.