WA leader Mark McGowan launches extraordinary attack on NSW and accuses new premier Dominic Perrottet of being an 'appalling' treasurer: 'They never stop whingeing'

Mark McGowan has taken an extraordinary swipe at New South Wales' Dominic Perrottet and the entire state itself just moments after he was sworn in as the state's premier.

The Western Australian Labor leader blasted the former treasurer for his 'appalling' financial management and said if it wasn't for the Golden State, NSW would be broke.

Their bitter war of words comes as tensions flare over the redistribution of GST revenue and after premier Perrottet recently labelled Mr McGowan the 'Gollum of Australian politics'.

Mr Perrottet was sworn in on Tuesday following Gladys Berejiklian's shock resignation on Friday after it was revealed she is now at the centre of corruption probe.

But Mr McGowan wasted no time attacking his NSW counterpart, saying he hadn't congratulated him as he 'wouldn't know his number' and there had been so many premiers in the eastern state that he 'can't keep track of them'.

Ms Berejiklian was in the role for nearly five years. 

'The NSW government has been very poor financial managers, they now have massive deficits and massive debts, they managed Covid very badly and you can see the consequences,' Premier McGowan said.

'So instead of looking in the mirror, they look west to blame us for their situation.

'The reality is that if it wasn't for our efforts to keep Covid out and keep our industries open, the huge bailout with about a billion dollars every week going to NSW would not be possible.'

NSW's economy has been much harder hit by the pandemic as the closure of international borders cut off the supply of tourists, international students, and business travel.

Western Australia was far less affected as the vast majority of its revenue comes from mining and oil and gas and it receives far fewer tourists.

Mr McGowan accused the 'whinging' Liberal leader of trying to undermine WA's split of the roughly $65billion divvied up between the states and territories every year.

At the moment WA, with its lucrative resources sector, is redistributed 70c for every dollar it puts in, while NSW receives about 96c.

'To be frank with you, I'm tired of listening to their whinging,' Mr McGowan said.

'They never stop whinging and the reality is we have supported them far more than they have supported us.'

Mark McGowan (pictured right with wife Sarah at the Brownlow Medal) expects a stoush with rival state NSW over GST revenue

The Western Australian Labor leader blasted the former treasurer for his 'appalling' financial management and said if it wasn't for the Golden State, NSW would be broke. Pictured: FMG Solomon mining Hub in the Pilbara

Even though a Commonwealth review of the GST split is not due until the 2025-26 financial year, the state leaders are already feuding over the hugely divisive issue which has long been a sticking point among WA residents.

Mr McGowan said that instead of criticising WA, Mr Perrottet and the rest of the east coast should be grateful.

'Gratitude is in short supply over there, but we will continue to keep our industries open and keep providing huge support to those eastern states and continue to prop up their economies,' he said.

'He's (Mr Perrottet) been the treasurer for however long but NSW financial performance has been appalling.

'We did our budget recently with a $5.8billion surplus, while they've got deficits in the tens of billions of dollars, so clearly we won't cop any stick from them.'

The WA premier neglected to mention that Mr Perrottet delivered multiple budget surpluses before the pandemic wiped out NSW's international revenue sources.

Dominic Perrottet (pictured with wife Helen) described the WA Premier as the ' the Gollum of Australian politics'

NSW economy has been decimated during the Covid lockdown. Pictured: A pedestrian in a protective face mask crosses a quiet street in the city centre during a lockdown on September 28, 2021

When asked if he had congratulated the new NSW premier, he replied: 'I wouldn't know his number.'

'He's a relatively young man so I assume he'll be around in the role - though NSW premiers change pretty quick, so many I can't keep track of them, they're like prime ministers,' he went on.

'So I assume he'll be around for a while and clearly his sights are set on undermining our revenue and GST.'

Mr Perrottet on Friday compared the WA leader to Gollum, referring to the depraved Lord of the Rings' character. 

'Mark McGowan is the Gollum of Australian politics,' Mr Perrottet told Sky News.

'You can just picture him over there in his cave with his 'little precious' - the GST.' 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has assured WA will keep its fair share of GST revenue.

'I was the first Prime Minister to ensure that Western Australia got their fair share of GST and stood up to all those who opposed it,' he told The West Australian. 

The WA Premier has ignited a war of words with NSW Premier front runner Dominic Perrottet (pictured in Sydney on Monday)

'My government fixed it and my government will protect it. The only person Western Australians need to worry about is Anthony Albanese who in government never acted to fix WA's GST allocation.'

But the state opposition aren't convinced. 

'We know Scott Morrison was as thick as thieves with Gladys Berejiklian and he will be the same with Dominic Perrottet,' shadow trade and resources minister Madeleine King said.

'There's every chance he'll entertain and look at winding back WA's fair share of the GST.'

Assistant shadow minister Patrick Gorman fears Mr Perrottet has 'WA's GST squarely in his sights.'