Daniel Andrews attends Malvern Hotel event mid Comm Games 2026 decision

Leaked images of Premier Daniel Andrews spending “several hours” at the pub while in the middle of Commonwealth Games contract deliberations have been released.

Images have been leaked of Daniel Andrews at the pub for “several hours” on a Friday afternoon, in the middle of his deliberations about ditching the Commonwealth Games.

The photos have emerged just days after the Premier issued a warning to colleagues saying: “If you want to go to the pub, then do that in your own time”.

The Herald Sun has confirmed Mr Andrews and his wife attended the Jim Barry Winemaker’s Lunch at the Malvern Hotel on July 14, days before he announced Victoria would cancel its contract to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games – a move that will cost up to $600m.

Witnesses at the pub said the Premier arrived not long after noon and spent “several hours” socialising at the long lunch before leaving about 5pm.

“It certainly looked odd at the time,” one witness said.

“My take was that it was a celebration of sorts.”

Daniel Andrews at the Malvern Hotel. Picture: Supplied

Guests at the $150-a-head lunch enjoyed a five course meal with matched wines, including the $1000-a-bottle Jim Barry The Armagh cellar release.

The Friday lunch was held just two days before a Monday cabinet meeting approved a decision to scrap the games.

It is believed lawyers for the government flew to Britain at the weekend before the meeting in order to meet Games officials.

An expenditure review committee meeting was held to discuss the decision on the Monday before cabinet met later that day to endorse it.

The decision was announced publicly the following day.

Labor insiders have questioned whether the decision had already been made at the time of the lunch, and if not, why the Premier was not focused on salvaging the Games.

Daniel Andrew at the Malvern Hotel. Picture: Supplied

Opposition Leader John Pesutto said he doesn’t have a problem with the Premier and wife attending the pub, but was “concerned” with the timing.

“I just think that it’s extraordinary that the Premier was spending half a day, three days out from the announcement of arguably the most humiliating debacle Victoria has faced in recent history (at the pub),” he said on radio on Monday morning.

“What was he doing on that Friday afternoon? What was he doing to try and avert the disaster or mitigate the impacts?”

Mr Pesutto said he wasn’t “comfortable” that photos of Mr Andrews at the event had been leaked but said public figures should expect that.

“That’s part of being a public figure. I don’t particularly like it but you can’t stop people – it’s a public place and you’ve got to expect that,” he said on 3AW.

Mr Andrews has refused to reveal when he first knew he would have to cancel the Games.

“The decision was weeks in the making after I was made aware of the cost blowouts,” he said last week.

The announcement came as a surprise to Commonwealth Games officials, who accused the government of exaggerating a $7bn cost estimate.

On Monday, a federal investigation into the Games fiasco will hear from officials, but Mr Andrews has refused to attend.

Daniel Andrews with wife, Cath. Picture: Supplied

Former Victorian major events minister Martin Pakula, who negotiated the contract for the failed 2026 Games, is expected to appear before the Senate inquiry.

Concerns about a culture of drinking around parliament have also increased in recent weeks in the fallout of allegations levelled at sacked Labor MP Will Fowles.

They prompted Mr Andrews to admit he considered moving to close the bar at Parliament House.

Mr Andrews said parliament should be a safe workplace for everyone.

“This is not a footy trip. It’s not a place where you can behave differently to what would be expected in every other workplace,” he said.

“My approach is to be spending less time in the bar and more time working hard for the people of Mulgrave and the people of Victoria.

“If you want to go to the pub, then do that in your own time.”

Senior Labor minister Ben Carroll said the Premier had been “very clear” about how his caucus members should behave but said Mr Andrews was entitled to drink with his wife at the pub on a Friday afternoon.

He wouldn’t confirm whether Mr Andrews told ministers to go to the pub in their own time.

“I think the Premier has been very clear about how we conduct ourselves and it could have been that message, it could have been other messages,” he said.

“The Premier works incredibly long hours — his work hours will be 24/7, so I think he’s entitled to be at the pub with his wife on a Friday.”

Mr Carroll said he would support closing the bar at Parliament House, if it meant making the workplace safer.

“I’ve been a member of parliament for over 10 years. I’ve been in the parliamentary bar less than five times I have not experienced that culture,” Mr Carroll said.

“I would support whatever action is needed to make sure we have a safe workplace.

“We all know there are power imbalances. Parliament is the workplace. We also know as ministers and members of parliament are in the spotlight and they also just need to behave as every other normal Victorian.”

A Victorian government spokeswoman refused to answer questions about the Premier’s attendance at the Malvern Hotel.

“As the Premier has already made clear, Cabinet made the final decision not to proceed with the Commonwealth Games on Monday, 17 July,” she said.