Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate no-show after massive Commonwealth Games boast

Just days after announcing a bid to host the next Commonwealth Games, a Gold Coast pollie has made a mysterious last-minute withdrawal.

Just days after brazenly announcing a bold bid to host the next Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate has been a no-show at a significant media event with the Queensland premier to promote the 2032 Brisbane Games.

Earlier in the week, Mayor Tate lambasted Dan Andrews for sensationally pulling Victoria out of staging the international sporting event.

He then boasted there was “no reason” his city couldn’t host the Games again, as it had done in 2018.

The Victorian premier left many shocked on Tuesday when he said the state would no longer host the games, saying the cost had blown out to $6-7bn for a 12-day event which was not value for money.

Mr Tate was not impressed with the premier’s actions, as he reaffirmed his desire for the Gold Coast to step in.

“If any government makes a deal, stick to it,” Mr Tate told ABC Radio on Friday.

“We should have a crack, as Australians we should make our words good.”

Cr Tate was due to speak at a media conference on the Gold Coast on Saturday to mark the nine-year countdown to the 2032 Olympics, but his unexplained absence triggered a flood of questions about his Commonwealth Games proposal, The Courier Mail reports.

A spokesman for Cr Tate said the Mayor was a “late withdrawal” due to a massive workload since arriving back in Australia on Wednesday and insisted it had nothing to do with the Commonwealth Games controversy.

Asked why the Mayor was not at the media event, which unveiled the Olympic Rings and the Paralympic Agitos logos, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said, “you can ask him”.

“I don’t run his schedule,” she said.

Ms Palaszczuk said she had not spoken to him since he announced his play for the Commonwealth Games, but she emphatically shot down the proposal.

“Everyone shares Tom’s enthusiasm for the Gold Coast and he is very passionate about this city and the opportunities for this city,” she said.

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate was nowhere to be seen at today’s Olympic Games press conference. Picture: Supplied.

“However, there is no appetite in the State government or the Federal government to do another Commonwealth Games here.

“We are 100 per cent focused on the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“It is absolutely not possible (to stage the 2026 Commonwealth Games).”

Sports Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said it was “ludicrous” for the Gold Coast mayor to try and pick up the games.

“Frankly, I agree with the Deputy Mayor Donna Gates on the Gold Coast where she said earlier on Tuesday that the idea of trying to pick up the games was ludicrous,” she said.

“She said quite sensibly that it’s too late for us to try and pick up the pieces and pull this all together.”

Mayor Tom Tate criticised Daniel Andrews for pulling out of the Commonwealth Games. Picture Glenn Hampson

“I understand Tom’s enthusiasm, he’s always been a great booster for the Gold Coast, but I said to him directly yesterday that this isn’t on.

“A larger event, a mega event like the Commonwealth Games at such short notice, is not going to be done the way we would want to see it done, the way we did do it in 2018.

“I’ve got to make sure that we are focused on what we should deliver and can deliver as part of our commitments to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

A Senate committee is investigating Premier Andrews’ controversial decision to end Victoria’s hosting of the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

“Obviously something has gone very awry. The Premier has been very shaky about that,” Senator Bridget McKenzie told Sky News.

“I want to understand the modelling that has brought him to that figure (of $6bn).”

The Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee had been inquiring into Victoria’s preparedness to host the Games since March and had been due to report on September 1.

-with NCA NewsWire, Elena Couper

Originally published as Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate no-show after massive Commonwealth Games boast