It is a great shame and disappointment for the regional communities of Victoria that the Commonwealth Games will not be going ahead in their towns. It would’ve been a source of pride for Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat, the Gippsland area and other regions across Victoria to host such an event—the first time it would’ve been hosted by country towns of that size.
The issue before us as the federal parliament, though, is that, in terms of the rest of the world, it was not really Bendigo or Ballarat or Geelong hosting the Commonwealth Games. The rest of the world probably had not heard of our detailed plans for the Commonwealth Games. The rest of the world thought Australia was hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2026. For the first time I know of a country has reneged on its promise to host a major sporting event such as a Commonwealth Games, an Olympics or a soccer world cup. It is such a shame and so disappointing for that to happen in this country given that, until this shocking decision from the Victorian Premier, we were known around the world for our capacity and ability to hold these types of events with great efficiency, great success and great harmony with the rest of the world.
I particularly dispute some of the other contributions that have been made here which have said that somehow it’s a complete waste of money to hold these events. They are great events to build our nation, our community and our country. I still fondly remember the Sydney Olympics in my formative years. It was a fantastic event for our nation and something that I think most Australians are very proud that we successfully hosted here in this country. I hope we are similarly proud of the Brisbane Olympics in 2032.
Unfortunately, this decision now has sullied our reputation for hosting these events. It was the Victorian Premier who promised these games. It wasn’t imposed on him. It wasn’t forced on him. He hasn’t had to try to fix a problem not of his own making. He promised this less than a year ago, ahead of the Victorian election. Even then he should’ve known. He should’ve done his sums better, and he didn’t. It’s a terrible outcome for the Victorian people and for the Australian people.
Given that national implication and how it has harmed our national reputation, it really is incumbent on the national Prime Minister and the federal government to try to fix things. We’re not standing here claiming that it was the Albanese government that got us into this mess, but as the national government it is their job to help us get out of this mess. This ‘wash their hands’, Pontius Pilate approach to the problem is not good enough for the reputation of the country. When you’re the Prime Minister, the buck stops with you. Not every problem that comes across your desk is yours, but you wanted the big job, you got the big title on the desk, so you should have to come up to the plate here and have some answers for the Australian people about how we’re going to solve these things.
If nothing else, the Commonwealth Games association has been completely left in the lurch and, as one of the larger members of that association, one of the most successful sporting nations in that organisation, we surely have some responsibility to help see a successful 2026 Commonwealth Games proceed. As a country, I think we have the responsibility, given it was one of our states that promised to hold it and has reneging on that promise. Even if the games are not to be held in this country, given it’s only a few years away, surely we have some responsibility here to at least help and assist the Commonwealth Games to continue. It’s a great institution, and we want it to succeed in the future. I think this chamber should definitely be putting pressure on the Victorian government and doing what it can to help fix up this terrible mess of Dan Andrews’s making.
I chair the Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport, and we’re conducting an inquiry into the Commonwealth Games at the moment. We were doing it before this shocking decision, and we are going to continue to pursue that inquiry. We want to hear directly from the people of regional Victoria, who’ve been completely dudded by this decision, in a way that Dan Andrews certainly hasn’t. One of the most shocking things about this decision is that there was no consultation. There was no discussion with people impacted by it; it was just dropped into the media like a grenade. We will consult with those people, but we will also try to come up with solutions to help make sure that the Commonwealth Games in 2026, wherever they are held, are a success. It is a great event. It has a proud heritage and history, and we, as a country that has participated in that history, have a responsibility to make sure it continues to be a success in the future.
