Tuesday, 1 August 2023

Commonwealth Games

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:56): My question is to the Deputy Premier. The chief executive of Commonwealth Games Australia Craig Phillips says the government’s $7 billion cost for the Commonwealth Games is a gross exaggeration. Will the Deputy Premier commit to the immediate public release of the $7 billion cost estimate?

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! I assume, having asked the question, that the Leader of the Opposition would be interested in hearing the answer.

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop) (14:57): As has been pointed out by my colleagues, in terms of answering this question from the Leader of the Opposition, I answered a large part of this in the earlier question today. There are negotiations underway, those negotiations will continue and when they are concluded there will be an update provided. When it came to the simple choice about $6 billion for a 12-day sporting event, where the cost was more than double the estimated benefit to the state, it became a really clear choice for the Victorian government. That is why we have made that decision, but at the same time those key legacy benefits, which have bipartisan support – it has bipartisan support, that approach, member for Caulfield –

Members interjecting.

Jacinta ALLAN: Speaker, I know it is disorderly to pick up on interjections, and I will resist that temptation –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The Assistant Treasurer is warned.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, I think the Deputy Premier misunderstands. The question related to the $7 billion figure that the government keeps referring to and releasing the estimates relating to that $7 billion cost, rather than any other matters.

Mary-Anne Thomas: On the point of order, Speaker, there is no point of order. The Deputy Premier is being entirely appropriate. She is explaining – if only those on the other side would listen – why it is not appropriate at this time as negotiations continue.

Emma Kealy: On the point of order, Speaker, this question is very narrow. It is specific to providing the costings in regard to the quoted $7 billion the Premier has said and now the $6 billion that the Acting Premier has said. Victorians just want to know how much. I ask you to bring the Deputy Premier back to the question and provide the costings.

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order.

Jacinta ALLAN: I was referring to the key reason why the government agreed to hosting these games in the first place and that was the bipartisan support we have for the legacy benefits that come for regional Victoria – the billion dollars that has been added to the very busy housing minister. We already have a very busy housing minister; he has just been made even busier with $1 billion to invest in social and affordable housing across regional Victoria.

Danny Pearson interjected.

The SPEAKER: The Assistant Treasurer will come to order.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the question had nothing to do with the Minister for Housing’s diary. The question related specifically to the release of the $7 billion estimate that the government has provided repeatedly and providing detail to the community on that figure.

Mary-Anne Thomas: On the point of order, Speaker, it is the very same point of order that we have just heard and that you ruled was not a point of order. What we see from those on the other side is they are merely time wasting and trying to stop the Deputy Premier from giving the answer. The problem is they are not listening to the answer. The point of order is that there is no point of order.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the Opposition and the Assistant Treasurer will come to order. The Deputy Premier had strayed a little from answering the question. I ask her to come back to the question that was asked.

Jacinta ALLAN: Thank you, Speaker. As I was indicating, and I have said this a few times today and, at risk of predicting what might come next, I may say it a few more times this afternoon: $6 billion for a 12-day sporting event became too much. On that, I have mentioned also a couple of times a bipartisan position. The Leader of the Opposition has said very clearly that he supports the decision. He would make the same decision.

John Pesutto: No, I would not have made a decision without due diligence.

Jacinta ALLAN: Hang on, ‘I would have no choice but to do what has been done’ – from the Leader of the Opposition.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Geelong can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Member for Geelong withdrew from chamber.

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (15:02): The chief executive of Commonwealth Games Australia Craig Phillips also says the government ignored advice to run events in existing facilities to keep the games within budget. Why did the government ignore this advice?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop) (15:02): The government agreed to host the Commonwealth Games because of the enduring legacy benefits we could see for regional Victoria in those key areas of housing, community sporting infrastructure, tourism infrastructure and major events activities across regional Victoria, and that is why we are continuing to provide that support with a $2 billion package in those key priority areas for regional communities. I do remind the Leader of the Opposition that the agreement that was struck with Commonwealth Games officials was for the games to be held in regional Victoria. That is what we agreed to, that is the investment we were making and that is why when the cost became $6 billion for a 12-day sporting event, the government made the decision to hold on and invest the $2 billion in regional Victoria. We will let the negotiations continue their course.