Inside the brutal Olympics board meeting as blowtorch on Premier Steven Miles
One William St became a “sombre” Olympic hotbed as Games heavyweights descended on government headquarters where the Premier was told he had “lost control of the narrative”. WHAT UNFOLDED
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Premier Steven Miles faced a brutally honest showdown with Games heavyweights at a sombre Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee meeting, as the board scrambled to retake control and win back community support.
One William St became an Olympic hotbed as board members including president Andrew Liveris, Australian Olympic Committee chief executive Matt Carroll, AOC president Ian Chesterman and Federal Sports Minister Anika Wells descended on the government headquarters on Friday morning.
One meeting attendee described the mood among the organising committee – which also includes business leaders and athletes – as “sombre”, while another said there was a “frank and open discussion” about what was going wrong.
“The government was told you haven’t taken the public on this journey – and you haven’t taken the board on this journey,” one said.
Missing from the board meeting was John Coates, who was overseas and did not dial in remotely due to the time difference.
One insider said the room was divided on the best way forward, with the Premier told he had “lost control of the narrative”.
The board heard it was critical to “get off the front page” and win back the support and excitement of Queenslanders for the 2032 Games.
“It was reiterated there needed to be more consultation with stakeholders,” they said.
There was also agreement that the highly-experienced board members be used more, and that they should not simply be a “rubber stamp”.
“There was a lot of discussion about how we had got to this point – something which is such a positive thing (the Games), has become such a negative thing,” one said.
“There was a strong agreement on the importance of getting this back on track”.
But another said there was no silver bullet to “fix the entire problem”.
There was also a view that other organisations needed to step up, engage and front-up some cash in the debate about stadiums – especially the AFL.
Speaking after the several-hour long meeting, Mr Liveris said the meeting had been “very” robust.
“This group of stakeholders are aligned on firstly recapturing the narrative of why this is good for Queensland and good for Brisbane and, frankly, good for Australia,” he said.
“It’s clear the people around that table needed, as board members, to understand exactly the point we’re at and we’ve got everyone to that point.”
The Premier’s office declined to offer any comment on what was discussed at the meeting, or any outcomes reached.
Mr Liveris also said it was positive to hear both Mr Miles and Opposition Leader David Crisafulli ruling out cancelling the Games altogether, after it was reported the issue was raised during Monday’s cabinet meeting.
“I’m very excited to hear both sides of politics support having the Games – that’s off the table,” he said.
“This will be the location of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games, please do not lose sight of that. I haven’t and I’ve kept this thing moving down the track.”
The 2032 Games’ boss said there was still due diligence to be carried out on the state government’s controversial call to base major events at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre (QSAC).
“I’m not going to say yes or no to (building a new stadium at) Victoria Park,” he said.
“I’ve seen the comments of the Lord Mayor – I’m actually very pleased that people are thinking about the legacy of Queensland, for what will be AFL and cricket.
“But honestly, AFL and cricket need to speak up, it’s not the Olympics’ job.
“We will receive what the state says is an important legacy and then we’ll work with that.”
Ahead of the meeting, Mr Liveris said the ongoing bickering over venue infrastructure was “not a good look” and he was concerned by the negativity that had engulfed the Games as he prepared to address the committee members.
“What’s going on right now, it’s not a good look for any of us,” Mr Liveris said.
“We need to improve that … I’m working on that.”
Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said he would continue to push for a stadium at Victoria Park despite party colleague and Mr Crisafulli ruling out building a new stadium.
“I think any review would have to look at Victoria Park,” Mr Schrinner said.
“Ultimately, we do need an oval stadium in Brisbane.
“We’ve got Suncorp Stadium for the moment, that’s getting an upgrade, the Gabba will limp through until the Olympics but what happens after that?
“We need a good quality oval stadium for AFL, cricket (and) for large concerts like Taylor Swift.
“This is an ongoing need of the community and it’s got nothing to do with the Olympics, it’s what our community needs.”
Federal Sports Minister Anika Wells earlier this week said the Albanese government was eager to see the costs for Steven Miles’ most recent Games infrastructure plan.
Funding arrangements for the Games were delicately negotiated but the new venue plan will require further discussions.
Ahead of the committee meeting, Ms Wells said the gathering was a “timely opportunity for us all to have an honest conversation about how this is progressing and set a pathway forward”.
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