New South Wales Treasurer Matt Kean made a frosty appearance at a media conference on Sunday alongside Premier Dominic Perrottet when the treasurer expressed his frustration at a lack of federal support for NSW's $1 billion stimulus.
Kean’s state stimulus package centred on businesses that had shouldered a 40 per cent downturn throughout the shattering summer trading period for employers, due to staff shortages and Covid-19 restrictions.
However, after Kean queried the federal government's disinterest in contributing towards the cause, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce attacked the treasurer.
Joyce said the federal government has pumped over $60 billion into NSWs’ economy since the onset of the pandemic when he chastised Kean.
"We didn't ask the NSW government to split the excessive $63 billion we spent on support with NSW already."
"Do you want to split that with us? If you just chuck that in our account we'll give you the money, no problem in the world."
Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg also weighed in on the furore, backing in the federal government's previous financial support for NSW:
"(Mr Kean) wants to half the bill in this particular instance. When it comes to people who have had to stay at home as a result of COVID we're picking up 100 per cent of the bill.
"We have already seen more than 200,000 people in NSW receive more than $170 million from the federal government through the pandemic leave disaster payment."
Frydenberg contrasted the NSW position with South Australia's Liberal government, which also made stimulus funding announcements across the weekend but did not put their hand out for federal assistance.
Treasurer Frydenberg summarised:
"We welcome NSW making this contribution, but we recognise the federal government has done the bulk of the heavy lifting when it comes to the economic support rolled out across the country."