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WA Premier Mark McGowan is unimpressed with Greater Sydney’s ‘Freedom Day’ milestone, instead aiming for another dig at his NSW counterpart Dominic Perrottet for being enthusiastic about the freedoms which sandgropers profited for most of the pandemic.
“They are all excited to have their hair cut and have a beer when we got to have our hair cut and drink beer for a long time where you want,” he said. declared.
WA Premier Mark McGowan.Credit:Matt Jelonek
“You can actually go to some places and have your hair cut and have a beer at the same time.”
The comments are the latest in a series of taunts between Mr. McGowan and Mr. Perrottet about the distribution of the GST and dealing with the pandemic.
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Last week, when the BHP South Flank mine site opened, Mr McGowan brandished a spear and joked that he would use it on Mr Perrottet.
“I’m serious … does anyone want to take me?” Where is Dom Perrottet? he said.
The relationship between the two leaders has been icy since Mr Perrottet called Mr McGowan a “Gollum of Australian politics” (a reference to JRR Tolkien The Lord of the Rings) the day Premier WA revealed a budget surplus of $ 5.6 billion.
Mr Perrottet, then treasurer of New South Wales, was referring to the state’s share of the GST, which can no longer drop below 70 cents on the dollar, even when other sources of income such as royalties on iron ore are increasing dramatically.
He said the GST was akin to Gollum’s “precious” ring at the heart of Tolkien’s novels.
After Mr Perrottet was elevated to prime minister on October 5, Mr McGowan said he did not congratulate him because he did not have his number, but he revealed on Monday that the two Premiers had now spoken.
“He called me, it was a great conversation and we talked about the GST. We agreed to disagree on the GST, â€said Mr. McGowan.
Where the prime ministers agreed is on the country’s relations with China.
“Obviously, we had a bit of a discussion about the nation and… our trading position with our major trading partners, especially China, and we both agreed that this needs to improve,†he said. declared.
Mr McGowan said WA will remain closed in NSW as Greater Sydney emerges from lockdown, but he has offered medical support.
“I told him that as they open up, if they need additional medical support, the other states are obviously there to help, including Western Australia,” he said. he declares.
“Whether it’s nurses or doctors or whatever, other states are here to help NSW during this difficult time of transition.
“He was very interested in this.”
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