Andrews accused of trashing Commonwealth Games brand for own political gain

2 weeks ago 7

The atrocious humor that was spilled by the cancellation of the 2026 Commonwealth Games successful Victoria continues to flow.

In the Commonwealth Games Australia yearly report released this week, main enforcement Craig Phillips brands the determination to wantonness the Games due to the fact that of outgo “callous” and says that erstwhile Victorian premier Daniel Andrews trashed the Commonwealth Games marque for his ain governmental end.

Then Victorian lawman premier Jacinta Allan and past premier Daniel Andrews announcing the determination to cancel the 2026 Commonwealth Games successful July 2023.

Phillips again says Commonwealth Games Australia’s warnings to the authorities astir rising costs of the plans for decentralised games were ignored, but reiterates a Victorian auditor-general decision successful March that erstwhile pulling the pin connected the Games, the authorities overstated the costs by much than $2 billion.

Phillips inactive hopes that the Games volition beryllium hosted successful Australia. To date, nary alternate location has been found.

In revisiting the cancellation, Phillips refers repeatedly to the Andrews-Allan government, a little-used formulation that links the now-retired Andrews with his successor arsenic premier, Jacinta Allan, who was the curate liable for delivering the Games.

“The determination of the Andrews-Allan authorities to retreat from hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games placed immense unit connected the Commonwealth Sports Movement brand,” says Phillips.

“At times, it adjacent seemed that, for his ain governmental expediency, past premier Daniel Andrews was attempting to trash the marque with the Australian public.

“The CGA is steadfast successful its presumption that the Commonwealth Games and, successful particular, our [Australian] squad remains overmuch loved and respected by Australians.

“Caused by the callous ‘easy’ determination taken by the Andrews-Allan authorities to retreat from hosting the Games, the past fractional of 2023 has been a turbulent and uncertain clip for the CGA – dissimilar immoderate we person experienced.”

“Easy” was however Andrews described the determination astatine the time, saying that unforeseen costs would person been ruinous to the authorities if the Games had proceeded.

In the yearly report, Commonwealth Games Australia again rejected the authorities government’s characterisation of the events that led up to the cancellation.

“The authorities of Victoria was not asked to measurement successful arsenic hosts astatine the past minute, arsenic indicated by the past premier,” the study says. “In fact, representatives of Visit Victoria, acting connected behalf of the government, travelled to London to ‘pitch’ their imaginativeness for hosting the games to the Commonwealth Games Federation.

“The budgetary implications announced astatine the clip of the cancellation were besides not sighted oregon discussed with the CGF oregon CGA. The consequent Victorian auditor-general’s report, released successful March 2024, has since confirmed that costs were overstated by much than $2 billion.

“CGA consistently indicated its consciousness of imaginable outgo overruns due to the fact that of authorities decision-making, but this regularly provided proposal to marque changes to the lawsuit transportation exemplary was ignored.”

In August past year, Victoria paid the Commonwealth Games Federation, Commonwealth Games Australia and the Commonwealth Games Federation Partnership $380 cardinal arsenic a settlement. The Commonwealth Games Federation has allocated $100 cardinal to whoever hosts the 2026 Games, if they proceed.

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