Former IOC VP Kevan Gosper slams Daniel Andrews’ ‘reckless’ Commonwealth Games cancellation

The former IOC vice-president’s comments come as Victorian negotiators return home from London without having struck a compensation deal.

Former International Olympic Committee vice-president Kevan Gosper has called on Daniel Andrews to release the details underpinning his decision to scrap Victoria’s hosting of the 2026 Commonwealth Games, as the state’s negotiators return home from London without having reached an agreement over ­compensation.

In an interview, Mr Gosper condemned the decision as “reckless” and damaging to Australia’s reputation.

His comments came as one of the Victorian Premier’s own ministers contradicted his claim last week that it had not been a difficult call.

Mr Gosper, who won a gold medal in the men’s 440 yards in the 1954 Commonwealth Games in Vancouver and a silver medal in the 4 x 400 metres relay in the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, said the move to withdraw from hosting the Games at this late stage was “a reckless decision which has torn up Australia’s reputation as one of the most reliable and successful hosts of global sporting events”.

“Mr Andrews needs to come out with more details of the decision to scrap the Games,” he said.

“Suddenly, he has ditched this event with comments about cost blowouts, but he owes it to tax­payers and the athletes who were hoping to compete to provide more details behind his decision.

“It is hard to believe the event could have blown out from an estimated $2.6bn 15 months ago to more than $6bn today,” he said.

Mr Gosper said there had been no indication about the cost blowouts given to Games organisers in meetings earlier this year. “They have all been working with the idea everything was going well, and suddenly he has ditched the Games and hasn’t provided any real detail of what went wrong.”

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nicki Connolly

He said the move had “potentially damaged the chances of any other sporting event bid by Australia.”

Mr Gosper, who was closely involved with the bids for the 1996 and 2000 Olympics by Melbourne and Sydney, and was a member of the Sydney Olympic Organising Committee, said the swiftness of the decision to scrap the Games raised questions about the motivation and the quality of the work done for Victoria’s bid for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

“It looks as if the whole process might have been done on the back of an envelope,” he said. “Mr Andrews should not get off lightly. Was there a lack of profession­alism behind the budgeting and planning for these Games?”

“What was his motivation for the bid?”

On Monday, Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas described the cancellation as a “tough decision”, contradicting Mr Andrews’s claim last week that he had “made a lot of difficult calls, a lot of difficult decisions in this job” but cancelling the games was “not one of them”.

“Obviously, as a regional MP, I was looking forward to the Comm Games, and it’s disappointing. However, tough decisions have to be made when you’re in government,” she said.

“This was a tough decision, but it was the right decision, and I’m very pleased that the legacy of the Comm Games will continue to be delivered for the people of regional Victoria.”

Ms Thomas acknowledged that a negotiation team – understood to be led by Arnold Bloch Leibler partner Leon Zwier and Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary Jeremi Moule – had returned to Melbourne without striking a deal over compensation.

“My understanding is the team is back in Australia. But in this day and age, it’s very possible and easy to continue negotiations, whatever country you’re in,” she said.

Asked whether she was disappointed no agreement had been reached, she said: “Well, obviously, it’s a complex negotiation, and it’s continuing. I’m sure a resolution will be forthcoming.”

Ms Thomas said she did not “have any of those details” when asked to comment on reports the compensation bill could cost Victorian taxpayers as much as half a billion dollars.