Allan govt may be in contempt of parliament over Comm Games bid files

The Allan government may be considered in contempt of parliament as it fights the release of hundreds of documents about its failed Commonwealth Games bid in a move that has been slammed as “a circus”.

The Allan government is refusing to comply with parliamentary rules in a bid to keep secret hundreds of files related to its failed Commonwealth Games bid.

In an extraordinary move the upper house committee probing the cancelled Games bid on Tuesday tabled an unexpected second interim report warning the government’s failure to hand over documents could be considered a contempt of parliament.

The government is fighting the release of 353 documents including ministerial briefings, Cabinet briefings, meeting agendas, expenditure review committee reports and other key documents it has been ordered to make available to parliament.

But it is claiming executive privilege over the material arguing it either reveals the deliberative processes of Cabinet and executive government or jeopardises the necessary relationship of trust and confidence between the minister and public officials.

Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes and Premier Jacinta Allan. Picture: Ian Currie

Under parliamentary rules, documents involved in executive privilege disputes must be provided for inspection and before an independent legal arbiter can be appointed to evaluate the validity of the claims.

However, in its second interim report the Select Committee on the 2026 Commonwealth Games bid said the government had failed to provide any of the documents required meaning the independent review process could not be initiated.

Former premier Daniel Andrews signed up to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games in the lead-up to the 2022 state election. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

“In the committee’s view, the government’s own self-assessment of executive privilege without independent review is not only a contravention of the Standing Orders but a direct impediment on the committee’s ability to conduct a thorough and transparent inquiry,” it said.

“The committee notes that to date, successive governments have never provided documents with claims of Executive privilege to the Clerk as required under Standing Order 10.03. This non-compliance has meant that the independent legal arbiter process...has never been used.”

Liberal MP David Davis accused the government of being openly defiant.

“It’s a circus, a complete joke,” he said.

“This is a matter of defiance of the house and it should not occur in this way.”

Liberal MP David Davis says the government has been openly defiant. Picture: Ian Currie

Greens MP, Sarah Mansfield, said the government’s refusal to comply with parliamentary rules was of serious concern because he denied proper scrutiny.

“This is a failure that isn’t just a feature of this parliament, but has been a long standing practice of this government,” she said.

“They refuse to follow the standing orders. This is really serious.”

Former premier Daniel Andrews signed up to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games in the lead-up to the 2022 state election.

But in July, 2023, he stunned the world by dumping the deal with the Commonwealth Games Federation, saying the event’s budget had blown out to $6bn-$7bn

An analysis by the Victorian Auditor-General Andrew Greaves said that figure was overstated and overall costs were on track to hit $4.9bn.