The validity of that premise could become a very real question for the community in Canberra with the Delta variant of COVID-19 spreading in the community right on the territory's doorstep.

Spot checks on Canberra construction sites in light of the positive case in Goulburn is another sign that authorities are taking seriously the risk of seeding from the Sydney outbreak further across NSW and the ACT.

But what happens if Canberra needs to go into lockdown, particularly an extended lockdown as Sydney now faces?

The favoured status of the "gold standard" approach of NSW in the eyes of Scott Morrison when it was resisting lockdowns and then a generous package of support when it finally embraced the need for a lockdown has some questioning the fairness. It unfortunately means many will question if the federal government would stand up for another jurisdiction with a Labor first minister as it has for Gladys Berejiklian.

Mr Morrison and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg were out in force doing the media rounds on Wednesday morning, hitting back at the Victorian Premier's comments calling the package for the Sydney outbreaks crisis another "double standard".

"The Victorian government, unfortunately, is being petulant, childish, and playing politics here because the facts tell a very clear story," Mr Frydenberg said.

The additional support comes as NSW's lockdown is being extended into five weeks. Frydenberg called it a particularly lengthy lockdown.

"We now have a template that we can roll out across the rest of the country," he said.

The same package was offered to Victoria, but "they knocked it back" said Mr Morrison.

Under that model the federal and state governments equally cough up the cost to support for workers and businesses. Up to $600 for affected workers, and up to $10,000 for businesses per week that can demonstrate a 30 per cent turnover decline.

Instead Victoria argued for, and got, the federal government to pay for 100 per cent of employee support, while the state covered all the cost of business support.

"It's total politics," Mr Morrison hit back at Dan Andrews, saying there is always a bit of "argy bargy" with the states every now and then.

Victoria needed the rest of Australia during its recent lockdown, he added.

"The big second wave lockdown [was] about four months long. We were pouring in, without the Victorian government asking, three quarters of a billion dollars every week .... and we did it for months on end.

"In the most recent lockdown they had in Victoria, which only went for two weeks, Victoria got exactly the same thing that NSW got in the first two weeks. The issue in NSW is, it has gone on for longer."

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Taken at his word, the Prime Minister is saying he would stand up for other states and territories facing an extended lockdown. But there is still reason to doubt.

Bashing the "Canberra bubble" has been practically a sport for the Coalition government, making no effort to shield the city, it's people and businesses from unfriendly fire at the wheeling and dealing of backroom politics and lobbyists.

This federal government has been relentlessly critical of Labor-run states that faced outbreaks, and generous beyond compare with Liberal-run states even in the face of equal challenges.

Federal Labor thinks Victoria was "left in the lurch because of the political stripe" of its government. Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers saying the Prime Minister was absent for popping up to show support for NSW.

"Victorians have got every right to be filthy at the petty politics which was being played by Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg."

All sides of politics agree however that the Sydney lockdown has consequences for the entire country.

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