Premier Weatherill and Minister O’Brien have been caught out publicly disagreeing with each other for the third separate occasion this year.
In response to a question about whether South Australia had missed the mining boom, Mr Weatherill yesterday told ABC radio “no, I don’t accept that.”
However, when Mr O’Brien was asked whether South Australia had missed the mining boom, he declared that “effectively, yeah; that’s the reality of it.”
“Who’s right – Mr Weatherill or Mr O’Brien?” said State Liberal spokesperson Rob Lucas.
“Of course this isn’t the first time Mr Weatherill has been publicly rebuked by Mr O’Brien.
“Last month Mr Weatherill was embarrassingly contradicted by Mr O’Brien over the underwriting of construction insurance following insurer QBE’s decision to vacate the market.
“In the same month, Mr Weatherill and Mr O’Brien disagreed publicly about cuts to the Police Budget and staffing levels.
“What we are seeing from Mr Weatherill and his Labor Government is public division on a regular basis.
“Instead of a competent Government, South Australians have Mr Weatherill and his Labor Government focused on division and disunity,” said Mr Lucas.
Mr Weatherill on 22 March this year told journalists:
“I think any time when we’re talking about ourselves and not talking about the people of Australia, the people of South Australia, then it’s a distraction from what people have put us here to do. So in that sense it is damaging.”
“South Australians deserve better priorities to get our state back on track.”
