If Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull wants to help fight crime in Victoria, he should get on the phone to "the mobster's mate" of an opposition leader, acting Premier James Merlino says.
Weeks after he started a political barney over Victorian youth "gang" crime, Mr Turnbull's first 2018 visit to the state descended into a cringe-inducing press conference originally meant to promote funding for Geelong.
"We don't want to have an awkward discussion here, I think James understands that the responsibility for keeping Victorians safe on the street is the Victorian government's," Mr Turnbull said.
"(Opposition Leader) Matt Guy has reforms that he wants to advance that'll be fought out in the state election."
That prompted Mr Merlino to fire back with "facts" about the state opposition stalling stricter firearms laws in parliament.
"Your counterpart, ... Matthew Guy and the Liberal Party, are stalling that legislation and seeking to water it down," Mr Merlino said.
"So the best thing you can do Malcolm for Victoria is get on the phone, talk to the mobster's mate, Matthew Guy, and your liberal party to support that legislation."
Last year it was revealed Mr Guy had a lobster dinner with alleged mafia boss Tony Madafferi.
Mr Madafferi denies any wrongdoing but Victoria Police have applied to have him banned from Crown Casino and race tracks for alleged criminal links.
Mr Merlino's comment sparked Mr Turnbull to then condescendingly shoulder tap the shorter political leader and try to redirect the discussion.
"Now James, James I understand why you had to say that ... we'll raise the tone of it - let me talk about my trip to Japan," Mr Turnbull said.
Mr Turnbull is going to Japan on Wednesday night for a leaders meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Mr Turnbull and Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton sparked a federal-state war of words at the turn of the year when they accused Victoria of being weak on youth crime.
Mr Dutton singled out African youths for causing problems, after a string of incidents including riots, home invasions, armed robberies, assaults and attacks on police.
But on Wednesday Mr Turnbull was celebrating Australia's multiculturalism.
"We are the most successful multicultural society in the world," he said. "We have zero tolerance for racism."
