Federal govt smothering states: Barnett

Former WA premier Colin Barnett has lashed out at the federal government accusing it of smothering the states.

Mr Barnett has also criticised how Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard and Malcolm Turnbull ran Council of Australian Government meetings.

"The commonwealth is smothering the states. The states need to stand up and assert themselves; the states need to re-establish their identity," he told The Australian in an interview published on Friday.