It continues an ongoing war of words between the pair, between whom there was no love lost even before Hamilton-Smith sensationally quit the Opposition benches to join Jay Weatherill’s cabinet after the 2014 state election. But the animosity will be more acutely tested after Pyne was yesterday handed the Defence Industries portfolio in Malcolm Turnbull’s reshuffle, sidelining the recently appointed Senator Marise Payne, who retains the overall Defence portfolio but loses the crucial oversight of delivering new manufacturing contracts.

Pyne was quick to reiterate his familiar theme that he had no need or desire to meet with Hamilton-Smith.

But the state Defence Industries minister hit back today, telling ABC891 it would be “very sad” if Pyne refused to speak with him “because the electorate, and particularly the workers, and businesses involved in Defence really want to see a Team Australia approach”.

“They want to see all levels of Government, industry and the unions all working together in their best interests to create jobs and enterprise,” he said.

“That’s certainly what Team France is looking for.”

He rejected Pyne’s assertion that state governments “have little to do with defence industry”, pointing out that the SA Government had invested almost $300 million at Techport, and arguing “we own the shipyard”.

“Essentially making this project work, and work well, will be a partnership,” he said.

“It will require State and Federal governments to work together… it’s much better to deal professionally and collegiately with one another behind closed doors in a professional way than to talk to each other through the media.”

But the pair continued to do just that, with Pyne retorting on ABC radio that he had “bigger fish to fry” than to meet with his former state party leader.

“I’m not obsessed about Martin Hamilton-Smith, as some people in the SA media seem to be,” he said.

“My predecessor, Marise Payne, never felt the need to meet with Martin Hamilton-Smith and that didn’t do us any harm in [terms of] SA getting the submarine contract, the offshore patrol vessels and the future frigates program worth $90b for our state.”

However, he continued to personalise his disdain for Hamilton-Smith, conceding he had worked closely as Industry Minister with Premier Jay Weatherill and Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis – and would continue to do so.

“But you can’t trust a person who got elected as a Liberal and then within a month joined a Labor government, and there’s no trust there,” he said of Hamilton-Smith.

“So in terms of working with people, if there’s no trust then there’s no bond… you have to be able to trust people and he’s an untrustworthy person.”