The New South Wales Deputy Premier has criticised Broken Hill's mayor Darriea Turley after she equated inadequate COVID planning to genocide.
John Barilaro said he found Ms Turley's comments "disgusting" and was disappointed a leader at any level of politics would draw that comparison.
"I actually heard some of those comments, which I find disgusting," he said.
"That's strong language to be using at a time of crisis when people have fear and anxiety in what is a global pandemic.
The comments were made in front of a state parliamentary committee that was hearing from community leaders and local elders in western and far-western NSW about the COVID response in towns like Broken Hill and Wilcannia.
'Tantamount to genocide'
Ms Turley was repeating what she said public health experts had told her, that there was a failure to act adequately in advance to a COVID outbreak.
"What we're seeing at the moment could've been predicted, or should've been predicted, in terms of how this rapid spread is affecting our vulnerable communities," she said.
"People have spoken to me and believe — public health experts in the past — that the failure to act adequately in advance is tantamount to a genocide."
Wilcannia has recorded 130 cases of COVID since the outbreak a month ago, which is more than 17 per cent of the town's population.
Ms Turley believes persistent and long-term issues like housing show more could have been done.
A 'disservice' to health workers
It wasn't only Mr Barilaro who took offence to the comments, with the chief executive of the Far West Local Health District, Umit Agis, disappointed to hear a former NSW Health employee speak that way.
"It is disappointing. I think Mayor Turley was quoting someone else. I'm not sure that I would have used that," he said.
"It does a disservice to a large number of health workers and planners.
