‘What on earth are we doing?’: Jay Weatherill brings down house

SOUTH Australia Premier — and Penny Wong’s ex — Jay Weatherill drew cheers as he called on Australia to take a good hard look at itself.

JAY Weatherill has called on Australia to take a good hard look at itself during an emotional episode of Q&A.

“What on earth are we doing?” asked a visibly frustrated South Australia Premier, as the panel went through the painfully familiar tortuous debate about same-sex marriage.

“This is simply a question of respect. It’s a pretty fundamental question of respect.

“There’s a lot of hate in the world. People want to celebrate their love and we want to deprive them of that.”

His blunt statement drew cheers from the audience and an impressed reaction from social media.

It came after audience member David Hunter posed a question to Penny Wong about whether Labor might be “smarter” to agree to a plebiscite so a decision would be guaranteed early next year.

“There’s another simple solution,” retorted Mr Weatherill. “The federal parliament can get on with the business of passing the same-sex marriage legislation.”

Twitter user Eric Malcolm remarked that the Premier was “making sense for the first time.”

Sean T questioned whether it was the “Q&A effect” or Mr Weatherill was simply a likeable leader.

#qanda Go Jay Weatherill - There is a simple solution and the audience definitely approves

— Allan Green (@Tank9999) September 26, 2016

Jay Weatherill making sense for the first time tonight - just pass the bill! #samesexmarriage #qanda

— Eric Malcolm (@emalcolmx) September 26, 2016

Jay Weatherill said it as it is, pass the legislation now. Plebiscite is stupid and wasteful policy. LNP won't give free vote #qanda

— Tim Jurd (@JurdTim) September 26, 2016

#qanda is the major contributor to my premier envy, first Daniel Andrews and now Jay Weatherill. Qanda effect or actually more likeable

— Sean T (@SeansBored) September 26, 2016

Ms Wong backed her fellow Labor politician and university boyfriend, adding: “I think Jay made the right point.”

The pair were in a relationship for five years after meeting in the late 1980s at Adelaide University, then attended by a large number of future politicians. Ms Wong came out as a lesbian a month after she assumed office on 1 July 2002.

“A plebiscite is all about the internal politics of the Liberal Party, not about delivering marriage equality,” she went on.

“Turnbull’s policies were worse than Abbott’s was post the party room meeting.

“What I find extraordinary is George Christiansen is willing to cross the floor and hold the Government to ransom on high income superannuation tax breaks but no-one in the moderates of the Liberal Party is prepared to put the pressure on and say we want a vote in the Parliament, because that’s what the Australian people want. This issue — I’m really tired of talking about it. I’d just like to get it done.”

She batted off comments from Education Minister Simon Birmingham, who was accused on social media of “mansplaining” when he told her: “Penny, you’ve got the opportunity now to see this issue resolved. To seize the opportunity and have marriage equality as law in Australia by March next year, with the type of support that comes from the public having endorsed it.

“My concern now is even if the Parliament railroaded it through it would be such a controversial issue we wouldn’t stop talking about the issue, because we built up this expectation that Australians get to have their say on it.

“I think the best thing we can do now is let Australians have their say, and hope and believe as I do there will be a strong ‘yes’ vote and it will be a really positive thing for gay and lesbian Australians to get that public endorsement of a change that actually then comes into law.”

Amanda Vanstone shocked viewers with her strange analogy.

‘TAKE THE SUGAR OFF THE TABLE, THE ANTS WILL STOP COMING’

The SA Premier didn’t receive quite as many accolades earlier in the debate when he spoke about storing nuclear waste in the state, calling it “a $50 billion opportunity”.

Asked why no other countries were “vying for the privilege” if this was such a good idea, he answered: “If you regard yourself as an international citizen, if this is the best place in the world to store waste, which has to exist somewhere in the world, it isn’t going away.”

Host Tony Jones joked with him: “Do you have a vision here? Could South Australia become one day the world capital of nuclear waste?”

But Mr Weatherill remained serious: “We could if the community chose to do that.”

The audience roared with laughter as he added: “Would you put it on your numberplates?

They might choose to be the dump state.”

Viewers almost went nuclear at another point in the debate, when former immigration minister Amanda Vanstone explained the refugee situation with an eyebrow-raising analogy.

“It’s a shocker of a job, the Immigration Minister, whatever you do, no-one is happy.

“One of the Indonesian ministers said to me, if you take the sugar off the table the ants will stop coming.”

Twitter users said they were “shocked” at the “dehumanisation” of refugees by the ex-Liberal senator.

“Refugees are not ants — or @Skittles,” tweeted Gareth Llewellyn. “They’re people with infinitely more complex issues.”

Philip Purcell added: “They are fleeing for their lives, not looking for ‘sugar’.”

During the discussion of taking refugees from Central America, Mr Birmingham said it was important to take “the most needy, the most worthy”.

But Ms Wong criticised Manus and Nauru, saying “it was never envisaged that those facilities should become centres of indefinite detention”.

She also remarked on Pauline Hanson’s right to air her views, saying: “No country has ever made herself safer by attacking a particular ethnic minority.

“There seems to be an enormous focus given to Pauline Hanson’s right to speak. I would like it injected in this conversation, perhaps the right of Muslim Australians to not be vilified.”