Watch FIFA World Cup 2026™

LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE starting June 12 2026

SA's Jay Weatherill: the highs and lows

A look at the highs and lows of former South Australian premier Jay Weatherill's time as the state's 45th leader.

THE HIGHS:

* Secured Labor a historic fourth term in 2014 with an unlikely election victory, justifying his decision to roll former premier Mike Rann in 2011.

* Lured tech billionaire Elon Musk to Adelaide to build the world's biggest battery, bringing international attention to South Australia's push towards renewable energy.

* Helped secure defence programs to build the navy's next fleet of frigates and submarines in Adelaide, successfully lobbying against alternative proposals, especially the purchase of off-the-shelf subs.

* Unleashed a tirade on then Federal Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg at a press conference in 2017, after relentless federal attacks on the state's reliance on renewables, reaffirming his credentials as a shrewd political player.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

THE LOWS:

* Lost the 2018 election to the Liberals after a redistribution of electoral boundaries made a Labor win almost impossible.

* Suffered through national ridicule in 2017 when a freak storm brought down transmission lines and blacked out almost the entire state, the incident fuelling criticism of the government's renewable energy policies.

* Was forced to apologise for the scandalous abuse of elderly dementia patients at the Oakden nursing home in Adelaide which subsequently sparked a national royal commission into aged care.

* Was hit by the triple economic whammy of the aftermath of the global economic crisis, the decision by BHP to mothball the expansion of the Olympic Dam mine and the closure of Holden's Adelaide car assembly plant which raised the prospect of unemployment soaring to double digits.


2 min read

Published

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world