Allan government ignores motion demanding release of documents covering failed Commonwealth Games bid

The Allan government has defied another attempt to force it to release more than 350 documents detailing the inner workings of its failed Commonwealth Games bid.

The Allan government is continuing to resist the release of hundreds of secret files related to its failed Commonwealth Games bid.

On Wednesday evening, the Victorian Parliament’s upper house passed a motion noting the failure of the government to comply with standing orders in its ongoing fight not to release the documents.

The government has claimed executive privilege to block the release of 353 documents it has been ordered to make available to parliament.

The documents cover ministerial and cabinet briefings, meeting agendas, expenditure review and committee reports.

Under the standing orders, 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 the government has refused to provide the documents for inspection, saying it would be irresponsible to do so without properly considering any potential implications.

The stubborn refusal to comply with parliamentary rules prompted a multi-partisan attack on the government.

Premier Jacinta Allan is resisting the release of Commonwealth Games documents. Picture: Nadir Kinani

Greens MP, Sarah Mansfield, raised doubts about the government’s confidence in its executive privilege claim.

“The other issue is that if you do not think your claims are going to hold up to scrutiny, what are you then afraid of being discovered as a result,” she said.

“If it was found that executive privilege does not apply, what are you trying to hide?

“We know from the Commonwealth Games inquiry so far that there was some seriously flawed decision-making that went on.

“It is a question of transparency, a question of integrity. The standing orders are there for a reason.”

Senior Liberal MP, David Davis, said the standing orders were modelled on similar rules in New South Wales which had been used to significant effect.

The Select Committee on the 2026 Commonwealth Games Bid has repeatedly criticised the government for failing to provide key documents.

Committee chair, Libertarian MP David Limbrick, accused the government of holding the parliament in contempt.

“The documents production process in this chamber is clearly broken,” he said.

“The government routinely comes back with a letter saying that it is going to take a bit more time and then you never hear anything ever again – the process is broken.”

Originally published as Allan government ignores motion demanding release of documents covering failed Commonwealth Games bid