Victoria’s Commonwealth Games blowout remains a mystery
Victoria’s Deputy Premier wouldn’t say when she first knew the Commonwealth Games were in trouble, despite being asked more than 15 times.
Victoria’s Deputy Premier has refused to say when she first learned that the cost of the Commonwealth Games had blown out to a point where the event was unviable, despite being asked more than 15 times.
Jacinta Allan’s repeated deflection comes after the Andrews government revealed on Saturday that it had struck a deal to pay $380m in compensation to three Commonwealth Games bodies for cancelling the 2026 event.
The business case for the Games, also released at the weekend, reveals the government was first warned in 2021 that there were significant risks in running the event to such a tight delivery timeframe.
Asked repeatedly on Monday about when she had first learnt the event was in trouble, Ms Allan avoided giving any direct answers, saying only that “actual” rather than estimated figures had started to become apparent “over the weeks leading up to” last month’s announcement of the Games cancellation.
“We were running tender processes through that period of time, we were running market soundings through that period of time, and over those period of weeks, we were getting the actuals in terms of the costs for things like the infrastructure, the sporting infrastructure, the villages, but also getting feedback from different suppliers, about the operational costs to run the Games as well,” said Ms Allan, who was the minister responsible for delivering the Games.
“As those numbers were firming up, over that period of weeks, and those numbers came and started to look like being a $6bn to $7bn cost for that 12-day sporting event, that’s when the decision was made. The final decision was made on the Monday, and it was announced on the Tuesday.”
Opposition Leader John Pesutto said Ms Allan and Premier Daniel Andrews needed to explain “when then knew” that the cost of the Games had blown out.
“Jacinta Allan is refusing this morning to say when she actually knew that the Commonwealth Games could not be funded,” Mr Pesutto said.
“This is a very important matter to get to the heart of, because … if the government knew many months ago that the Commonwealth Games couldn’t be funded, then the damage could have at least been mitigated, and steps might have been available to mitigate the damage to our reputation and the damage to our budget in terms of not only the compensation, but the sunk costs.
“The implication for Victorians is if Daniel Andrews and Jacinta Allan knew months ago, or last year, even, before the state election, that the Commonwealth Games could not be funded, but they nevertheless pressed on, think of all of the extra expenses Victorians are now having to pay for that will simply be torched, simply be wasted.”
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