Wednesday, 16 August 2023

Commonwealth Games

David SOUTHWICK (Caulfield) (14:14): My question is to the Acting Premier. As recently as June the Andrews government stated the 2026 Commonwealth Games would have a $2.6 billion cost and deliver over $3 billion in benefits. Will the Acting Premier release the business case that supported the assumptions of the June statement?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop) (14:14): The member’s question actually goes to the heart of the decision that the government has made, which I note has the bipartisan support of those opposite, as to why $6 billion to $7 billion for a 12-day sporting event just simply did not stack up – because that $6 billion to $7 billion cost was more than double the $3 billion estimated economic benefit that would come to the state of Victoria, which is why we have made that decision to instead invest the $2 billion in the key legacy reasons why the government agreed to host the games in the first place – and particularly when there is no bigger issue in regional Victoria at the moment than housing.

David Southwick: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the Acting Premier seems very confident of her numbers. I would ask her to actually release the assumptions to the house and answer the question.

Mary-Anne Thomas: On the point of order, Speaker, as I am sure you are potentially about to remind the member, a point of order is not an opportunity to try and restate a question. I ask that you rule the member for Caulfield’s point of order out of order and you let the Acting Premier get on with answering the question.

The SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order. The Acting Premier was being relevant to the question that was asked.

Jacinta ALLAN: The government has also previously stated that negotiations are underway at the moment, and we are not going to cut across those negotiations. Despite what those opposite may be putting out there we are not going to cut across those negotiations that are underway. We have also publicly stated that once those negotiations have concluded there will be further information provided about the outcome of those negotiations.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The member for South-West Coast is warned.

David SOUTHWICK (Caulfield) (14:17): Victoria 2026 has confirmed that the total marketing and communications budget for the Commonwealth Games would be between $50 million and $70 million. How much of the money has been spent to date?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop) (14:17): I thank the member for his question, and he is going to get an answer that is consistent with the answer to the substantive question and answers that have been made on this matter on a number of occasions already: there are negotiations underway. Those negotiations we are not going to cut across.

Members interjecting.

Jacinta ALLAN: No, no, no. We are not going to cut across those negotiations. No doubt the negotiations will note the bipartisan support from the Leader of the Opposition for the decision that the government has made, but we are not going to –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! When a question is asked I hope that members will want to hear the answer.

David Southwick: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the question was certainly not about negotiations. It was about how much money has been spent – or wasted – to date, and I ask you to bring the minister back to answering the question.

The SPEAKER: The Acting Premier was being relevant to the question that was asked and has concluded her answer.