1. Jay Wilson Weatherill was born on 3 April 1964 and is an Australian former politician who was the 45th premier of South Australia, serving from 21 October 2011 until 19 March 2018.
37 Facts About Jay Weatherill
1. 2.
Labor was in government from 2002, with Jay Weatherill leading the Labor government since a 2011 leadership change from Mike Rann.
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Jay Weatherill announced his intention to retire from Parliament on 6 December 2018.
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Jay Weatherill later studied at the University of Adelaide, graduating with degrees in law and economics.
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Jay Weatherill unsuccessfully contested the 1997 Australian Constitutional Convention election, running as an ungrouped candidate under the "Bill of Rights for Australia" label.
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Jay Weatherill defeated the incumbent Labor member Murray De Laine for Labor preselection in the electorate of Cheltenham at the 2002 election and went on to retain the seat for Labor.
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Later, Jay Weatherill would hold portfolios such as Housing, Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Early Childhood and Development, Environment and Conservation and Education.
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Jay Weatherill said the election day backlash against Labor made it evident that a fresh approach was needed; however he lost along factional lines.
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Jay Weatherill refused to rule out challenging Rann in a caucus ballot if he did not stand down on his return to Australia.
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Jay Weatherill was then sworn in as the 45th Premier of South Australia on 21 October 2011.
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Jay Weatherill allowed a conscience vote for the Greens' 2013 South Australian Gay Marriage bill in August 2012.
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The bill ultimately failed the lower house in July 2013 following Jay Weatherill's planned conscience vote.
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On 21 January 2013, Jay Weatherill became Treasurer of South Australia and took other various portfolios following a cabinet reshuffle triggered by the resignation of two members of his ministry.
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Jay Weatherill released the French Engagement Strategy, a plan to strengthen economic and business ties with France, focusing on broader opportunities in areas such as education, tourism and the arts.
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Jay Weatherill joined with Liberal premiers proclaiming he would lead a national campaign against the then federal Abbott government's 2014 federal budget.
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Jay Weatherill nonetheless kept Brock and Hamilton-Smith in cabinet, giving the government a 26 to 21 parliamentary majority.
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In 2015, Jay Weatherill initiated the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission to investigate opportunities and risks associated with expanding the state's involvement in the nuclear fuel cycle.
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Jay Weatherill used the release of the report as an opportunity to undertake "one of the largest" deliberative democracy processes in Australia's history.
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Jay Weatherill stated early that a nuclear waste facility would need both public and bipartisan support, with the former withdrawn by Liberal leader Steven Marshall.
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In 2015 Jay Weatherill announced that the state government would hold an annual 'Simplify Day' to initiate the reduction and removal of unnecessary regulation and legislation.
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Jay Weatherill set up Investment Attraction South Australia in 2015, attracting international companies including Technicolour, Boeing, Kaufland, Datacom and VeroGuard.
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In 2015, Jay Weatherill invited the South Australian Law Reform Institute to review all legislation for discrimination against the LGBTIQ community resulting in a number of bills eventually being passed in the South Australian Parliament.
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Jay Weatherill committed $50 million to support the steelworks and called on the Federal Government to commit $100 million, to then be matched by a buyer looking to reform the steelworks.
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Jay Weatherill argued that the GST rate should be increased but he would only support an increase if a compensation package was developed for those earning under $100,000.
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Jay Weatherill claimed these grants created 10,000 jobs in their first year.
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In 2017, Jay Weatherill announced a plan to reform South Australia's electricity supply, as a response to a number of blackouts that affected large numbers of South Australian residents and businesses in 2016.
27.
On 16 March 2017, Jay Weatherill eviscerated then federal energy minister Josh Frydenberg at a press conference in Adelaide.
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Jay Weatherill told Frydenberg the Federal Liberal government was the "most anti-SA government in living memory" and claimed the Federal Government's plan for Snowy Hydro 2.0 was a sign of a government in a "white-knuckled panic about national energy policy".
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In September 2017, at the opening of the International Astronautical Congress held in South Australia, Jay Weatherill announced the South Australian Space Industry Centre.
30.
In February 2018, Jay Weatherill announced that the South Australian Government and Tesla had reached an agreement to create the world's largest virtual power plant at 250MW, giving free solar panels and battery systems to 50,000 South Australian homes.
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Jay Weatherill claimed it would reduce power prices directly for those involved, and indirectly for others through increased competition in the market.
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Four hours after the close of polls, Jay Weatherill telephoned Steven Marshall and conceded defeat.
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Former Health Minister Peter Malinauskas became Leader of the Opposition and succeeded Jay Weatherill who had resigned as Labor leader, with former Education Minister Susan Close as deputy, following a Labor caucus meeting on 9 April 2018.
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Jay Weatherill moved to Perth in 2020 to lead the Minderoo Foundation's early childhood development arm Thrive by Five.
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Jay Weatherill is married to Melissa, and they have two daughters.
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Jay Weatherill is a supporter of the Port Adelaide Football Club.
37.
Jay Weatherill was reported to have contracted COVID-19 at a school reunion event in Norwood, South Australia on 27 November 2021.