Analysis: Scott Morrison is on a mission to make Daniel Andrews carry the cost of his painful state restrictions – on both politics and economics, writes CroweDM
"Under the thresholds that have been set in that plan, Sydney would be under curfew now," Morrison says. "Sydney doesn't need to be under curfew now. They have a tracing capability that can deal with outbreaks."
Victorians will not want to hear that NSW is doing a better job, but Morrison has logic on his side. The Victorian response has been the worst in the country, a failure so great it cascades through the national economy. Where is the evidence for this failure? In the numbers. No politician escapes the judgment in the case numbers in this pandemic. Morrison does not escape it on aged care. Andrews does not escape it on contact tracing.So there is a purpose to the federal pressure. The road map out of stage four depends in part on the assumptions about state contact tracing. A stronger performance on every new case means a faster route out of lockdown.
The economic cost is a key factor. Morrison does not want a lasting dynamic that allows premiers to prolong economic shutdowns while passing the cost to Canberra. If Andrews announces measures to restrict Victorians, he will be expected to announce economic measures to support them as well. Victorians have been let down badly in this crisis. Some have responded by feeling a sense of solidarity with Andrews, but no politician deserves unthinking loyalty. The state needs this pressure on its Premier and its government to do better.Get our Coronavirus Update newsletter for the day's crucial developments at a glance, the numbers you need to know and what our readers are saying.
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