Commonwealth Games inquiry reveals savage truths for Victoria

An inquiry into Victoria’s 2026 Commonwealth Games fiasco is unveiling some cold truths about the state’s reputation.

The fallout from Victoria’s ditching of the 2026 Commonwealth Games is showing no signs of slowing down, with the state dealt a series of fresh blows on Monday.

The Victorian government, under former premier Dan Andrews, rocked the foundations of the Commonwealth Games themselves in July when it scrapped plans to host the next instalment.

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A massive cost blowout of more than $4 billion was blamed for cancelling an event originally forecast to cost around $2.6 billion and to be held across regional Victoria.

A parliamentary inquiry is being held into the cancellation, as the Herald Sun reports, with the third of four public hearings taking place on Monday.

The Victorian government was savaged yet again by a number of parties.

Former premier Dan Andrews was slammed for his handling of the Games fiasco. Picture: Herald Sun / Jason Edwards for NCA Newswire

Among the witnesses called on Monday were Commonwealth Games Australia chief executive Craig Phillips, Volleyball Australia boss Andrew Dee and events industry expert Simon Thewlis.

Dee was particularly scathing, declaring Victoria “will be a place to avoid” for staging future events.

He was replying to baffling comments earlier in the inquiry from Visit Victoria boss Brendan McClements that “if anything (the cancellation has) increased the interest in people coming to Melbourne and Victoria. It hasn’t had any impact”.

“I expect Victoria for some time will be a place to avoid if you’re wanting to put on an event there,” Dee said.

“I don’t think any of my colleagues would agree with (McClements’) statement either.”

It comes after the Victorian government secretly pulled out of hosting a Beach Volleyball World Championships lead-up event in 2025 in Torquay.

Australian athletes and staff at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games at Victoria Park. (Photo by Nathan Stirk/2022 Getty Images)

Dee said that moves had completely changed any approach he would have to staging events in the beleaguered state.

“We certainly would approach it differently,” he said.

“We would certainly want to undertake some assurances. We would certainly want sanctions and penalties for breach of contract.

“Never in your wildest dreams would you have thought that the Commonwealth Games would be cancelled after signing the contract.

“The reputational damage is significant. Other jurisdictions in the country will be preferred over Victoria for some time to come, both internally within Australia but also by international bodies overseas. I think that’s just a fact that will play out over time.”

South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas, Volleyball Australia president Craig Carracher, Leon Bignell and Volleyball Australia chief executive Andrew Dee (far right). Picture: NCA NewsWire / Morgan Sette

During his submission, Phillips said he was told by Jacinta Allan back in April that the entire budget would be available for the event.

Allan was the minister responsible for the Games at the time and has since replaced Andrews as premier.

“We got the impression that she was very confident that the budget would be available,” Phillips said.

Industry figure Thewlis was another to slam the entire handling of the event, stating his belief there were far too many inexperienced people involved.

“Victoria’s event industry has gone through a lot since March 13, 2020,” he told the inquiry, referencing the Covid pandemic.

“This episode is really the final insult (and) the biggest debacle in the history of events in Australia.

Sporting bodies, incl. @CommGamesAUS CEO @CPhillips_Sport speak at inquiry hearing into Victoria’s cancelled Commonwealth Games. Select Committee MPs also heard from @swimvic CEO @jshellwig and @ausvolley & @VolleyballVic about the wider impacts on sport in Victoria. #springstpic.twitter.com/g3FibcIZQr

— Parliament of Victoria (@VicParliament) October 23, 2023

“We suffered by the lack of support and lack of listening during Covid and we suffer now because a great event, that should have happened, was bailed on.

“At the end of the day, a bunch of people with little to no real operational major event experience tried to organise one of the largest events our country has seen. They thought they knew better than the event industry.

“The Victorian government owes the event industry an apology and a commitment that they will finally listen to the industry that gave Victoria its reputation as an event stage in the first place.”

Shaun Leane was Minister for Commonwealth Games Legacy from June to December of 2022, replaced in that role by Harriet Shing until the decision to scrap the Games in July, 2023.

Both will front the next public hearing of the inquiry on Thursday, October 26.