South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill has just delivered the most almighty of mic drops to federal minister Josh Frydenberg and oh dear God, this is what entering heaven surely feels like.
It all went down in front of a national press pack to discuss the Government’s new plan to tackle South Australia’s ongoing energy crisis on Thursday.
Frydenberg, the federal Minister for Environment and Energy, began the conference by telling the media the Federal Government “is focused” on fixing the issue that in recent months has seen tens of thousands of residents across the state without power.
Then, because he's kinda smarmy, Frydenberg casually slipped in just how hard he, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Cabinet Secretary Arthur Sinodinos and Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Matthew Canavan had been working to solve the critical issue.
Coincidentally, this was the moment Weatherill decided he was completely done and began rolling up his sleeves, readying for a fight.
Asked by a journalist if he found Frydenberg's comments "a bit galling", the 52-year-old Premier replied, "I've got to say, it is a little galling to be standing here next to a man that's been standing up with his Prime Minister bagging South Australia at every step of the way over the last six months, to be standing here on this occasion... him suggesting that we want to work together is a disgrace."
Addressing Frydenberg directly, Weatherill continued, "The way in which your government has treated our state is the most is the most anti-South Australian government we have seen from a Commonwealth government in living memory."
Not yet done with the ham-fest, Weatherill went on.
"We had a Prime Minister who came into this state during the course of the last federal election campaign celebrating our leadership in relation to renewable energy, and then taking credit for it through his own renewable energy target.
"And for you to then turn around within a few short months when there's a blackout and point the finger at South Australia for the fact that our leadership and renewable energy was the cause of that problem is an absolute disgrace. And you'd be standing here next to us trying to take credit for some small scheme which goes nowhere near fixing the size and the extent of the problems that have been created in this state is an outrage."
Woah, Nelly.
Even if you don't like Weatherill or the Labor Party, you can't deny that felt good. I mean, they just don't make politics like they used to.
Not completely done, Frydenberg waited until he was out of Weatherill's earshot to tell the media the Premier was "desperate", "unbecoming and childish".
Now, now, Josh — no one likes a sore loser.
Earlier this week, Mamamia co-founder and creative director Mia Freedman met Malcolm Turnbull. Listen to the conversation on No Filter, below.
Top Comments
The state of South Australia contribute zilch to the overall benefit of Australia - in fact it is the other states who, through our high taxes, support them. Jay Wetherill had the cheek during that press conference to complain that the Federal government has never done anything to support SA. What was the astronomical funding for building those submarines to try and prop them up then?? The rest of Australia will be paying that back for generations!
Yeah, nah. That wasn't the reason. The Federal Government chose to build the $50 Billion subpar submarines in SA, in order to save Christopher Pyne's seat of Sturt. You can personally thank Mr Pyne for that fiasco.
The argument could be made that actually WA and QLD have been propping the rest of Australia up for a long time now.
Who's the loser? The people of South Australia, who thanks to years of Labor government have the most expensive and least reliable power supply in the country.
Their premier resorted to scoring cheap political points on the federal government who are trying to help dig them out of the hole that they have dug for themselves thanks to this ideological crusade to 'save the planet' by recklessly forging ahead with a high renewable target, but with little or no consideration as to the impact that would have on grid stability, reliability and affordability.
Saving the planet is not like saving the dinner leftovers - I think most people can agree ambitious policy is needed which is never problem free.