Coronavirus: ’Beyond question’ treatment of Victoria, NSW unequal

Martin Pakula says it’s ‘beyond question’ that the federal government’s treatment of Victoria and NSW has been unequal.

Victoria’s Industry Support and Recovery Minister Martin Pakula. Picture: Getty

Victoria’s Industry Support and Recovery Minister says it’s “beyond question” that the federal government’s treatment of his state and NSW has been unequal.

Martin Pakula’s comments come amid a war of words between Canberra and Spring Street, which saw a state government spokesperson accuse the commonwealth of forcing Victoria to “beg for every scrap of support” during the state’s most recent lockdown, and Victorian-based federal Treasurer Josh hit back, accusing Premier Daniel Andrews of “whingeing” and politicising the NSW lockdown.

Mr Pakula told a press conference on Wednesday it was a “good thing” that NSW was being supported by the commonwealth to continue a lockdown to protect the nation, “but the fact that the treatment of the two states has been unequal, I think is beyond question.”

“I mean we’ve spent a year hearing about ‘gold standard’, and now it’s gone from ‘gold standard’ to gold plated support,” Mr Pakula said.

He referred to a Herald Sun column by veteran finance columnist Terry McCrann, who on Wednesday wrote that the Prime Minister’s “Sydney handout” was an “insult to Melburnians”.

“It’s not often that I quote Terry McCrann, but he did make the point in today’s paper that even though the Commonwealth is saying ‘oh well, if Victoria’s lockdown had gone on longer it would have been treated the same way’ ... the Commonwealth never gave the slightest indication that that’s what they would have done,” Mr Pakula said.

“If you recall, we spent a week seeking support and got none, and then after that there was an income support package which contained a $500 cap, and no support at all if the worker in question had $10,000 or more in the bank.

“What you’ve got now is I think a $600 cap, no asset test, and support for business as well, so for the Commonwealth to be suggesting that there’s any comparison between the two, I just think it’s clearly, unmistakably not the case.

“Normally when the federal government wants to act in a partisan way, in a way that favours one state over another, they normally have the decency to try and camouflage it. They’re not even really bothering with that.

“It’s not the Victorian government that’s being punished or that’s being unfairly treated. It’s Victorian businesses and Victorian workers. I’m not sure what they’ve done to deserve that.”

‘Victoria knows if NSW does well, so does the country’

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet hosed down claims from the Victorian government of state favouritism in the commonwealth’s stimulus package.

Speaking to Sky News on Wednesday, Mr Perrottet said Victorians would welcome any package designed to help boost the NSW economy as it was good for the entire nation’s recovery.

“We have a robust and constructive relationship with the commonwealth,” he said.

“Victoria welcomes the package to some degree – if they know NSW does well the country will go well.”

Mr Perrottet also confirmed he had received advice from Victorian Premier Tim Pallas when fleshing out the details of the new stimulus package.

“The Victorian government has been very good in providing support for the package as well,” he said.

“Tim Pallas has been in regular contact in relation to the support during the lockdown measures, and the constructive relationship and engagement between state treasurers has been great.”

NSW getting no more money than Victoria: Frydenberg

Josh Frydenberg has doubled down on his criticism of the Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, accusing him of “whinging and whining” and politicising the crisis after Mr Andrews accused the federal government of giving special treatment to NSW.

Speaking to Sky News on Wednesday, the Treasurer said the commonwealth had provided more support on a per capita basis during Victoria’s 112-day lockdown, dismissing any claims of double standards.

“What this fails to recognise is the facts that I’ve laid out,” he said. “They were offered a 50/50 split and NSW has got no more money than Victoria did for the length of the Victorian lockdown.

“Anytime that someone challenges the Victorian labor government, the bots and the trots from the trade halls get sent out into the sewer of social media to undermine the accountability that gets brought to bear on the Victorian government.”

Mr Frydenberg said the structure of the new stimulus package will apply to all states that endure more than one week of lockdown.