Tuesday, 3 October 2023

Commonwealth Games

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:31): My question is to the Premier. The cancellation of the Commonwealth Games cost at least $600 million, including $380 million in compensation alone, and trashed Victoria’s reputation on the world stage. Will the Premier commit to appearing before the select committee on the 2026 Commonwealth Games bid?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:31): Again it is a little bit back to the future, and as I have said to the house on previous occasions, when it came down to a situation where the Commonwealth Games were going to cost between $6 billion and $7 billion for a 12-day sporting event, the decision was made to take the $2 billion worth of investment into regional communities and a billion dollars on regional housing – the most important issue facing regional communities as well as metropolitan Melbourne – invest in community sport, invest in tourism –

John Pesutto:On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the question was whether the Premier will appear before the select committee on the 2026 Commonwealth Games bid. It is a very straightforward question.

The SPEAKER: Order! As I have reminded members, a point of order is not an opportunity to repeat the question. The Premier was being relevant to the question that was asked.

Jacinta ALLAN: The reason why I was outlining the investments that are being made in regional Victoria right now through the billion dollars in the Regional Housing Fund, the work in investing in community sport, both infrastructure but also programs like the new all-abilities program to support more people with a disability to participate in sporting activity, and the work to support our fabulous tourism and major events industries in regional Victoria is because that is what I am focused on. That is what the government is focused on, not the activities of the upper house. We know all about some of the activities that go on by our opponents in the upper house. We are focused on delivering for Victorians, doing the hard work for Victorians right now, not engaging in those political activities that others want to in the Legislative Council.

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:33): Will the Premier do the right thing and finally apologise to the athletes and regional Victorians who were devastated by the cancellation of the Commonwealth Games?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:33): I would say to the Leader of the Opposition and perhaps remind him that he has been in lock step every step of the way with the decision that the government has taken. When asked if he would have made the same decision, his answer was yes. So I say to those regional communities and I say to athletes that the Leader of the Opposition speaks with a forked tongue on these matters. He is trying to walk both sides of the street. He has been in –

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, earlier this question time you ruled that nasty attacks on the opposition are irrelevant, and I would ask you to ask the Premier not to do that.

Mary-Anne Thomas: On the point of order, Speaker, once again we hear the Manager of Opposition Business attempt to use a highly gendered attack on the Premier by talking about being nasty, and I ask you to rule the Manager of Opposition Business out of order on his point of order. He is wasting the house’s time, and we can see through his attacks.

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier was contrasting her views with those of the Leader of the Opposition. I do not rule that it was nasty.

Jacinta ALLAN: Thank you, Speaker. I appreciate that there was disappointment from some in terms of the decision that was made, but it was the right decision, and it was the right decision because $6 billion to $7 billion to hold a 12-day sporting event did not stack up. We have taken the investment and taken the opportunity, which were the reasons why we agreed to host the games in the first place, to put those investments into housing, into community sport and into tourism and major events. I again remind the Leader of the Opposition that he has been in lock step on this decision every step of the way.