SA Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis has refused to criticise a fracking scare campaign by his Labor colleagues in New South Wales, despite previously calling for “political leadership” on the issue.

Luke Foley’s Labor is struggling to keep pace with Liberal incumbent Mike Baird in the polls ahead of Saturday’s NSW state election, and has launched a series of ads designed to arouse community uncertainty about issues such as coal seam gas exploration and electricity privatisation.

One shows a household water tap being set alight, as a voiceover warns “the clean water every house needs every day is under threat”.

Koutsantonis, who has ministerial responsibility for mining and energy, has previously warned that failure to develop gas resources interstate could cause SA energy prices to surge, arguing governments there have a “moral obligation” to harness their energy.

He also chided Opposition Leader Steven Marshall in parliament last September over the state Liberals’ cautious approach on fracking, yelling across the chamber that Queensland’s economic turnaround was “from coal seam gas … you know, the gas you hate so much!”

But yesterday he refused to buy into the debate, saying NSW Labor’s scare campaign was none of his business because “we don’t have coal seam gas in SA”.

That’s despite the state’s major business resident, Santos, describing itself as “a CSG industry leader”.

“I’m critical of other states when they wish to interfere in SA’s business,” said Koutsantonis.

“I always stand up for Santos (and) if any politician in SA intends to do any harm to a South Australian company on the basis of restricting their potential for exploration, I’ll stand up for that company.

“I fought very hard to stop getting moratoriums on exploration of coal seam gas … (but) it’s not the role of the South Australian mining minister to interfere in the sovereign rights of another state.”

South Australia has, however, taken a strange starring role in the NSW campaign, with another ad featuring a tearsheet from the Adelaide Advertiser and decrying the state’s power bills as “the highest in Australia”.

“The billionaire who bought SA’s electricity network makes $420 profit off every household every year,” warns the ad, which was authorised by ALP state secretary Jamie Clements.

But again, Koutsantonis refused to see the ad as a swipe at SA, saying its message was merely that “privatisations don’t necessarily lead to better pricing”.

“They should be very cautious about selling their utilities to international companies, because the profits are taken offshore and the community service obligations are reduced,” he said.

“If electricity assets in NSW are sold it will be a matter for the people of NSW. Luke Foley is running an excellent campaign to save those assets … I just wish we could have done the same here in SA.”

Koutsantonis said Foley “would be an exceptional Premier of New South Wales”, revealing “a number of my staff are flying over to help out” on Saturday.

That said, “it’s a matter for the people of NSW”.