Premier again declines request to front Commonwealth Games inquiry

The premier has again declined to front an inquiry into the cancellation of the 2026 Commonwealth Games despite new requests she appear.

Victorian premier Jacinta Allan has doubled down on her refusal to front he parliamentary inquiry into the state’s defunct hosting of the Commonwealth Games.

On Monday the upper house committee, comprising three independent, and a Coalition and a government MP each, passed a motion to officially request the premier attend to provide evidence.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Ms Allan – who was deputy premier and Minister for Commonwealth Games Delivery at the time – said she would not appear before the committee as per “standard practice”.

Jacinta Allan said she would not appear before the committee as per established parliamentary processes. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

Ms Allan defended her decision, arguing it was a “well established precedent and practice in parliament” that members of the Lower House did not appear before committees in the Upper House.

“There are rules in place around the appearance or otherwise of members,” she said.

“I will continue to respect that process.”

The premier repeatedly defended the government’s decision to axe the 2026 Games, announced in July about two months before Daniel Andrews’ shock resignation.

Upon announcing its cancellation, the government revealed the cost of hosting the Games could have blown out to about $7bn – a figure that critics argued to be exaggerated.

The cancellation of the Commonwealth Games was announced in July. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui

On Monday the Legislative Council’s inquiry into the cancelled Games heard that the figure was based on worst-case scenario statistics.

The government was first briefed on the cost issues in March, however, did not make the decision to axe the Games until July.

“As it transpired in that period of time … as we got into the weeks between that June-July period, the numbers were becoming all about cost and not about the benefit,” Ms Allan said.

“We were looking at estimates and advice was constantly being updated.

“The reason why we agreed to step in and host the Games in the first place (was) to bring benefit to the state of Victoria.”

The premier said numbers sought in the June-July period found costs significantly outweighed the benefits of hosting the event.

“We needed time to get that information and advice,” she said.

“And when we were faced with that situation we made the decision not to proceed with the Games.”

Ms Allan also reaffirmed that “no final decisions had been made” ahead of the state budget, delivered in May, which did not allocate any further funding to the Commonwealth Games.

Originally published as Premier again declines request to front Commonwealth Games inquiry