Premier Mark McGowan's strategic adviser Mark Reed was forced to take down a tweet referring to federal MP Andrew Hastie as a "deads--t".Credit:Facebook
The dispute erupted following an ABC interview in which Mr McGowan refused to level any criticism at China's authoritarian regime and criticised Mr Hastie's remarks likening the west's handling of Beijing's ambitions to Allied miscalculations in the defence of Western Europe during World War II.
Mr Hastie is chairman of the powerful Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security.
Just hours afterWAtoday publishedMr Hastie's reply to the Mr McGowan's comments,the Premier's strategic adviser Mark Reed posted a tweet referring to the spat.
"I've always found that line whereby someone has given service to their country,or excelled in a field and then people think that person's previous accomplishments give them some sort of permission to behave like an absolute deads--t is odd and troubling,"Mr Reed wrote.
"Doing something great,or dangerous,or even noble does not give anyone permission to act or speak free of critique.
"It's almost fascist to suggest otherwise."
Mr McGowan had made several criticisms of comments made by Mr Hastie inan article published on Nine news sites includingThe Age,The Sydney Morning Herald andWAtoday.
In a letter sent to Hong Kong protesters seen byWAtoday,Mr McGowan said he believed Mr Hastie's"extreme and inflammatory language"was"damaging to our economic relationship with China".