Tuesday, 1 August 2023

Commonwealth Games

Rikkie-Lee TYRRELL (Northern Victoria) (19:58): (334) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Regional Development. Victorians, particularly regional Victorians, are reeling from the government’s decision to abandon its plans to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games. With no external consultation, no referral to a committee for discussion on possible alternatives and no itemised breakdown of where the major cost blowouts occurred, Victorians deserve answers. To have placed a tender for the games when the government did so was financially irresponsible. It was rightly met with great criticism from the community. However, with a potential taxpayer expense of up to $1 billion to withdraw, other alternatives should have been considered – for example, condensing the games to the city, where pre-existing infrastructure could have supported most events. This decision further highlights the government’s fiscal illiteracy and lack of accountability to the people it claims to represent. I ask the minister: can you provide the costings on required expenditure for the Commonwealth Games to the general public so they can see the information this decision was based upon?