NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet says he will push for the return of COVID-19 leave payments for workers who lose income during isolation at a snap national cabinet meeting next week.
Australians are still required to isolate for seven days if they are diagnosed with COVID-19, but support pay ended at the start of July.
This means many workers, including those on casual arrangements, are forced to face a week without any income, amid an ongoing cost of living crisis.
Albanese has stood by the federal timetable to bring an end to pandemic leave payments, though he has conceded it will have an impact on workers.
The PM says it was a decision "inherited" from his predecessor, but Perrottet issued a veiled rebuke of that stance today.
"There is not one time in the pandemic that we have set and left policies in place," the premier said.
He said the decision would need to be made with input from financial, health, and humanitarian viewpoints, and with governments in unity.
"COVID-19 is not over. Governments are here to help our people. I'll continue to advocate strongly for that and I'll do it in an appropriate setting at national cabinet," he said.
"I think it is unfair that when the state imposes public health orders on people that restrict their liberty and capacity to work, for the government not to provide financial support."
But he admitted the budget situation at a federal and state level were "clearly under pressure".
However, Perrottet has said he is willing to have discussions about funding the pandemic leave payments "50-50" with the federal government.
"People make significant sacrifices by following those health orders and isolate for seven days," he said.
"If the state imposes those orders, the state should also be on hand to help people through."
It's understood the worsening COVID-19 crisis around the country will also be in focus at Monday's meeting after about 47,000 cases were recorded yesterday.
Health Minister Mark Butler has stood by the prime minister's defence and said the payments could not continue indefinitely.
"At some point, though, emergency payments need to come to an end," he said.
"It was intended those come to an end at the end of June, and we are following up that decision that was made many months ago.
"I am not going to pretend, though, that is not going to have an impact on the community."
The United Workers Union has also pushed for the reinstating of pandemic leave payments.
"Removing paid pandemic leave in the middle of a pandemic is short-sighted and at odds with the seriousness of the COVID infection rates we are seeing across Australia," secretary Tim Kennedy said.
"The leave should be extended until we have emerged from the worst of the terrible winter wave at a bare minimum."
Leaders will meet on Monday after Albanese returns from the Pacific Islands Forum in Fiji.
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2022-07-15 10:33:23Z
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