Premier’s ‘house of cards’ under threat by COP loss, Liberals say
The Opposition Leader says the Premier can’t hide behind the state’s events calendar after losses like COP31 and a world-class opera’s delay.
SA Liberal leader Vincent Tarzia has slammed the Premier for wanting to secure a future global climate conference as a “fool’s errand”, after yesterday’s announcement Adelaide had failed in its bid to host the coveted event next year.
Turkiye would instead host in November 2026, with the Premier saying on Thursday he would not rule out bidding for a future COP.
“COP was a fool’s errand that has proved to be a colossal waste of time and money and it is unfathomable that the Premier wants to bid again,” Tarzia told InDaily.
“While the Premier chases selfies at COP, families are chasing savings on their electricity bills.”
The state budget allocated $8.3 million to prepare for the event, and the state government had spent about $4 million of that – $1.3 million on wages, and $2.5 million spent by SAPOL.
News of the failed bid followed last Friday’s announcement that AIDA – a world-class opera bound for Adelaide and much-spruiked by the state government – would be delayed by a year due to shipping complications.
“The Premier’s house of cards is falling over with the slightest breeze,” Tarzia said.
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“He can try to paper over the cracks with events, but the latest economic data shows our state is growing at a glacial pace.”
Environment Minister Lucy Hood refuted the claims saying this was an “embarrassing capitulation” from the opposition leader.
“If pursuing COP was a bad idea, why is it in Mr Tarzia’s own Liberal priorities document?” she said.
“Why did they vote to support the COP bid in parliament only a week ago?”
Hood also pointed to former opposition leader David Speirs urging the Prime Minister to pursue COP in 2022.
“This state government has a demonstrated track record of delivering events that drive growth and put our state on the national and international map,” Hood said.
“It’s a shame the Liberals only seem to support criticism and cancellation of events, whether they be COP, Gather Round, LIV or the Adelaide street race.”
Premier Peter Malinauskas did not attend COP30 in Brazil where the failed bid was announced, as he stayed in Adelaide to see through a deal to save embattled South Australian disability provider Bedford.
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But Premier’s Climate Council Chair Martin Haese told InDaily Malinauskas’ advocacy for South Australia to host the event was “exceptional”, including a visit to COP29 – held in Baku, Azerbaijan in November 2024.
“Quite rightly, a lot of the Premier’s work would have been towards Canberra, because it is almost entirely Canberra’s role to secure the conference for Australia so that Adelaide could be the host city,” Haese said.
As part of the compromise for Australia’s concession to Turkiye, a pre-COP would be held on a Pacific island, and Federal Climate Minister Chris Bowen would become the COP President for Negotiations.
When asked if this was a good deal, Haese said Bowen’s role would be “a very important role” for Australia and the Pacific nations, but that negotiations would have been “tough”.
“The Turks are notoriously tough negotiators, and I hope the Australian government were equally as tough,” Haese said.
“It is massively disappointing that Adelaide has lost its bid to host COP, but reaching 100 per cent net renewables by 2027 is a better achievement”.
He said SA is on track for the net zero milestone by 2027 which is “world-leading” and the state’s focus on decarbonisation attracts international interest.
Haese said SA leading in this space could not be negated by the federal Liberal party’s stance on net zero.
Had Adelaide secured the global climate conference, thousands of presidents, prime ministers, NGOs, and even royalty would have descended on the city.
Lord mayor Jane Lomax-Smith told InDaily that the city anticipated hosting about 30,000 people.
“Adelaide anticipated hosting the full scale of COP delegates, including world leaders, ministers, United Nations officials, climate negotiators, business and civil society representatives – roughly 30,000 people in total,” she said.
“There was also the possibility of high-profile guests such as King Charles III, after the Premier raised the invitation during his visit to the United Kingdom.”
