PRIME Minister Tony Abbott has defended a decision to exclude South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill from an announcement that the state is set to be the base for a squadron of high-tech surveillance aircraft.
The project, which is expected to provide a $100 million boost to the South Australian economy, was announced on Thursday, just days ahead of Saturday's state election, inside a hangar at the Edinburgh RAAF base in front of military personnel, as well state opposition leader Steven Marshall.
However, Mr Weatherill was not invited despite Mr Abbott conceding after making his announcement that both the premier and opposition leader would normally be invited to such an event.
"Well, we are in an election campaign and in an election campaign the caretaker conventions dictate that the premier and the alternative premier are of equal status," Mr Abbott said.
"But there is one of the two who wants to work constructively with the commonwealth, the other of the two wants to fight with the commonwealth."
The prime minister rejected suggestions that it was, in fact, him that was picking a fight, insisting that he wanted to work constructively with all premiers and chief ministers regardless of their political persuasion.
"The incumbent premier thinks that his role is to fight with the commonwealth," Mr Abbott said.
"I think the South Australian people want better than that. They expect their leaders, their state leader and the national leader, to work constructively together like adults."
Mr Weatherill said he was not surprised to be excluded from the event, adding that "it's what you'd expect from Tony Abbott".
"Usual protocols would dictate that I would be invited to such a thing but it's a bit of petty politics," Mr Weatherill said.
Mr Weatherill said his government had already done a lot of work in terms of securing the drone project.
"This is the work that is being done through Defence SA led by General Cosgrove and now Air Vice Marshall Houston. Defence SA has been working on this for some time," Mr Weatherill said.
He said there was a clear choice for voters in Saturday's election, which the latest polls suggest will see Labor's 12-year rule come to an end.
"You can have Steven Marshall working hand in hand with Tony Abbott him on his cuts to penalty rates, on his cuts to Medicare and his cuts to education, and we'll stand up to for South Australia against all of that," Mr Weatherill said.
In addition to the $100 million boost expected to come from the drone project, the federal government has said it would add another $20 million in economic spin-offs.
It is expected to create about 100 jobs.
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