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Prime Minister Scott Morrison has accused the Palaszczuk government of a “shakedown”.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

“[We need] to make sure that the hospitals can deal with the capacity because when Delta comes in,it will spread like wildfire,” she said.

But Mr Morrison hit back,arguing he would not respond to “shakedown politics in a pandemic”.

“Since we came to government,we’ve increased funding for public hospitals in Queensland by almost 100 per cent,99 per cent,” he toldToday.

“The Queensland government have increased it by just over 50 per cent,so they need to sort their problems in Queensland.”

Mr Morrison said the Commonwealth had “showered the states with money” during the pandemic,such as through JobKeeper and other economic supports.

That,Mr Morrison said,included in Queensland,which had escaped major lockdowns but was provided with business support for people affected by border closures.

“They need to get on and run their public hospital system and not shift-seek to make excuses about it;get on and do their job — they’re responsible for it,” he said.

“I mean,to go down this point and say,well,you know,I’m going to hold the federal government to ransom and to seek to extort from them money on the basis of COVID,I just don’t think is the right way to go.

“I’m just calling it as I see it ... I mean to suggest that they’re not going to open the borders unless I send them cash.”

Mr Morrison said he would continue to work with all state governments,but he would not respond to “give me the money or else” type demands.

In response,Health Minister Yvette D’Ath questioned why Mr Morrison focused on Queensland.

Ms D’Ath last week joined other state and territory health ministers in writing to the federal government calling for a boost of direct hospital funding through a 50-50 funding model,ahead of a reopening of international borders in the next few months.

“Every single state and territory health minister signed this document,” she said.

“This is a national conversation,it’s not a fight between the Commonwealth and Queensland,it is every single state and territory saying that our health system was under extensive pressure and demand prior to COVID that required a re-think in the funding model,going forward.”

At the weekend,Ms Palaszczuk said no hospital system in the country was ready for an incoming wave of COVID cases but seemed at odds with Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young,who insisted the Queensland hospital system was “ready”,and intensive care capacity had been doubled and equipment bought.

Last week,Ms D’Ath said Queensland’s hospital system wasalready under intense strain,and this would only be exacerbated by a major outbreak,and Deputy Premier Steven Miles also reiterated theneed for more funding on Monday.

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