Wednesday, 20 March 2024

Commonwealth Games

Sam GROTH (Nepean) (14:17): My question is to the Premier. The Auditor-General found that on 20 April 2023 cabinet ‘agreed to a revised gross budget of $3.6 billion’. On 16 May 2023 the Premier told Parliament in question time, ‘We are committed to delivering the Commonwealth Games with that $2.6 billion.’ Why did the Premier mislead Victorians?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:18): I thank tomorrow’s Leader of the Opposition for his question.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Assistant Treasurer, you will have to leave the chamber for half an hour.

Assistant Treasurer withdrew from chamber.

Jacinta ALLAN: I also thank the member for Nepean for this opportunity to clarify some misinformation that he and the opposition have been providing on this matter. The question that was put to me by the member for Nepean actually misrepresents the question I was asked in this place on 16 May of last year. The member for Nepean on 16 May last year in a substantive question asked me a question about federal funding for the then Commonwealth Games that was being worked on by the government at the time following the release of the federal budget in I think the week prior. I was then asked a supplementary question that went to ‘could I guarantee’. Could I guarantee that the $2.6 billion of Victorian funding for the games was still available, and the answer I gave was yes, because it was. It was at that point in time because the state budget was not released until 23 May. The member for Nepean asked me a question in this place; I answered that question, and I stand by that answer today.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The member for Frankston is warned.

Sam GROTH (Nepean) (14:20): On 20 April 2023 cabinet agreed to a revised gross budget of $3.6 billion. The additional cash was hidden in general contingencies. Why did the Premier hide the $1 billion blowout in contingencies?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:20): The member for Nepean has not fully represented what the Auditor-General has presented in his report. I will refer to page 9 of the Auditor-General’s report, because he goes on to say that further advice was requested:

… from the minister by June on how the Games could be delivered in regional Victoria for that budget.

This is entirely consistent with what we have been saying since 18 July last year – that no final decisions had been made. It was –

Sam Groth: On a point of order, Speaker, page 19 of the Auditor-General’s report also says:

This estimate was not shown separately in the budget papers because it formed part of a general contingency ‍–

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Nepean knows that that is not a point of order.

Jacinta ALLAN: Indeed there are a couple of former Treasurers sitting opposite who know that Treasury often make provision whilst further decisions are being made. This is an entirely prudent approach, and again the Auditor-General’s report validates what we have been saying since 18 July last year.