- Dan Andrews has been accused of vandalizing the Commonwealth Games
- The former prime minister removed Victoria from hosting the 2026 event
- It has left Commonwealth Games bosses scrambling to find an alternative.
A Commonwealth Games leader has accused former Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews of trying to “trash” the event’s brand.
Commonwealth Games Australia chief executive Craig Phillips took aim this week in the association’s annual report, criticizing the Andrews government for abandoning the Games due to rising costs.
The government agreed to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne and five regional Victorian cities in April 2022, before withdrawing in July 2023.
This was attributed to the event’s initial $2.6 billion budget turning into more than $6.9 billion, according to government forecast estimates.
Phillips said the impact of the cancellation meant the last 12 months had been “unlike any other” Commonwealth Games Australia had experienced.
Dan Andrews has been accused of ‘trashing’ the Commonwealth Games
Andrews government withdraws Victoria from hosting 2026 Commonwealth Games
“The Andrews-Allan government’s decision to withdraw from hosting the 2026 Games has placed immense pressure on the Commonwealth sports movement brand,” he said.
‘At times it even seemed that, for his own political convenience, then Prime Minister Andrews was attempting to trash the brand before the Australian public.
“The CGA is firm in its view that the Commonwealth Games and, in particular, our team remain greatly loved and respected by Australians.”
Australian Commonwealth Games president Ben Houston said the decision to cancel “calls into question Australia’s integrity in hosting world-class events”.
“The costs of canceling the Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games are enormous,” Houston said.
“In addition to the reputational damage caused, the government also had to pay compensation of $380 million.”
A parliamentary inquiry this week found that Victoria’s bid to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games was rushed and based on grossly underestimated costs.
Presenting the inquiry’s interim report on Tuesday, committee chair and Libertarian MP David Limbrick said Victoria’s decision to bid for the 2026 Commonwealth Games was a “mistake”.
Commonwealth Games boss Craig Phillips did not hold back in his criticism of Andrews.
“These Games were doomed from the start because they were built on the shaky foundations of a business case that grossly underestimated costs,” he told the upper house.
The decision to withdraw from hosting the event cost Victoria more than $589 million, including $380 million in compensation to Games organizers.
In March, a separate auditor general investigation into the cancellation found that the price estimate that resulted in the event being shelved was “overestimated and not transparent.”
The auditor general said the agencies did not work together to provide “frank, full and timely advice” to the government before it decided to host the Games.
A new venue for the 2026 Games is expected to be announced in May, with Glasgow being one of the cities considering a move towards the event.
