Josh Frydenberg and Jay Weatherill just ripped each other to shreds in a truly awkward press conference

WELL that was the most childish, awkward, and unbecoming press conference we’ve ever seen. Even the politicians involved admitted it.

FEDERAL energy minister Josh Frydenberg and South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill have traded blows in an extraordinarily awkward press conference in Adelaide this morning.

The warring politicians have been at odds over the state’s energy crisis for months, but today standing side-by-side in front of an eager press pack, things really heated up.

The federal energy minister came away from the battle labelling his opponent “unbecoming and childish”, while Mr Weatherill said he found the minister’s behaviour inappropriate.

“I’ve got to say it is a little galling to be standing here next to a man who has been standing up for his Prime Minister, bagging South Australia at every step of the way over the last six months,” the premier said.

He went harder: “To be standing here on this occasion, him suggesting we want to work

together, is a disgrace.

“The way that your government has treated this state ... it’s the most anti-South Australian Commonwealth government in living memory.”

It was the first time the pair had appeared in public together, and each said they hadn’t expected the other to be at the event.

The press conference started cordially enough, but soon escalated when Mr Weatherill slammed the federal government’s plan to expand the Snowy Hydro scheme, which he labelled a “$2 billion insult”.

“I am sick and tired of getting these criticisms across the air wave from the eastern states about SA,” he said.

“We can’t wait for a Snowy Mountains scheme in four to seven years’ time. We have a plan to make SA self-sufficient, to stand on our own two feet today and that is what we’re getting on with.”

Mr Frydenberg responded by accusing the Premier of “crash-tackling” his announcement.

“I feel that the Premier trying to come into this to crash tackle us at this announcement where he hasn’t put any money into this important initiative, which the Commonwealth and AGL have, just shows you, unfortunately, how desperate he is,” he said.

“The Prime Minister should be commended for his leadership, for his investment in such a nation-building project. I actually think it reflects very poorly on the Premier that he has to engage in this type of petty politics.”

But Mr Weatherill isn’t the only state politician to be put off by the federal government’s handling of this issue.

The announcement was news to Victoria, which owns 29 per cent of the scheme.

Victorian Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said she first heard about it was in a radio news report today.

There also were reports the NSW government — which owns 58 per cent of the Snowy scheme — hadn’t been consulted either.

If the $2b scheme is to go ahead, the federal government (which only owns 13 per cent of the scheme) will have to be negotiated with the two states.

The government’s negotiating skills weren’t on show during the press conference, with Mr Frydenberg and Mr Weatherill continuing to sling insults at each other.

When the press conference was over, each politician held competing impromptu discussions with journalists where they continued to rubbish their opponents.

“I think after Jay Weatherill’s conduct today, the public would think that is pretty unbecoming and childish and pretty unacceptable for a senior political figure of their state to behave,” Mr Frydenberg said.

“Trash talking SA’s leadership and renewal tech, and have the gall to stand here next to a renewable energy project and pretend it is all happy families. We won’t cop that,” Mr Weatherill said.

“It is about making sure we can stand on our own two feet because we know we have been let down by a Federal Government that is anti-SA.”

The event was originally intended as an announcement to show off power company’s AGL virtual power plants.

The announcement coincided with the federal government’s commitment to commit up to $2 billion to addressing the nation’s energy supply issues by expanding the Snowy Mountains hydro-electricity project.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten called the Turnbull proposal “an idea worth exploring” but questions remained, including the full cost.

Originally published as Josh Frydenberg and Jay Weatherill just ripped each other to shreds in a truly awkward press conference