Peter Dutton hits back at WA premier, insisting states had agreed to manage hotel quarantine

Federal minister rejects call for commonwealth to make defence facilities available for returned travellers, saying they are too austere'

• New Perth case confirmed as hotel quarantine failures condemned

The defence minister, Peter Dutton, has slapped down the Western Australian premier Mark McGowan after he called on the commonwealth to step up" and take responsibility for quarantining returned travellers.

Dutton, who is in home quarantine in Queensland after visiting Perth last week, said the WA government had made a mistake" by using the Mercure hotel where the latest Covid-19 leak originated. He said the facility had previously been identified as not being suitable for returned travellers.