theft” and whether upstream states had been complicit. When the Federal Government rejected the request, Weatherill then launched a South Australian Royal Commission in January 2018 to investigate. Later in 2018, after the change of state government, the Federal Government barred Murray Darling Basin Authority officials from appearing at the Royal Commission to give evidence. The Commissioner, Bret Walker SC, also wrote to SA Attorney-General Vickie Chapman asking for an extension, but this was rejected. In February 2018, 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. Weatherill claimed it would reduce power prices directly for those involved, and indirectly for others through increased competition in the market. 2018 election The record-16-year-incumbent SA Labor government was seeking a fifth four-year term at the 2018 election, but was defeated by the opposition SA Liberals, led by Steven Marshall. Though a major electoral redistribution in 2016 had seen four Labor seats become notionally Liberal, Labor retained a total of 19 seats at the election. The incoming Liberal government won a total of 25 seats, with crossbench independents holding 3 seats. Despite the outcome, there was actually a statewide two-party-preferred swing away from the Liberals toward Labor of over 1%. Four hours after the close of polls, at approximately 10pm ACDST, incumbent Premier Jay Weatherill telephoned Steven Marshall and conceded defeat. Weatherill subsequently publicly announced that he had conceded, saying, "I'm sorry I couldn't bring home another victory, but I do feel like one of those horses that has won four Melbourne Cups and I think the handicap has caught up with us on this occasion." Peter Malinauskas became Leader of the Opposition and succeeded Weatherill who had resigned as Labor leader, with Susan Close as deputy, following a Labor caucus meeting on 9 April 2018. Post-politics In June 2019, he was appointed as an industry professor at the University of South Australia. In July 2019, he was appointed to conduct a review of Federal Labor's loss at the 2019 Australian federal election. In 2021, he was reported to have moved to Perth, Western Australia and be working for Andrew Forrest's Minderoo Foundation, promoting an early childhood development campaign named Thrive by Five. Honours In the 2021 Australia Day Honours, Weatherill was awarded Officer of the Order