Premier Jacinta Allan continues to refuse to answer questions about her role in the $600 million Commonwealth Games debacle.
Today in Parliament the Premier again dodged questions about what she knew, when she knew it and why she won’t come clean with Victorians.
The Liberals and Nationals will support a motion in Parliament this week requesting the Premier appear and give evidence at the Commonwealth Games inquiry.
Last week, the Commonwealth Games inquiry heard evidence that the Premier was aware the Games were in trouble in the months leading up to the announcement of their cancellation on July 18.
This included:
· Confirmation she was briefed in March 2023 as Minister for Commonwealth Games Delivery about a $2 billion cost blowout.
· Confirmation that a June 2023 budget submission was not formally considered by the Labor Government, despite being informed “an urgent decision was required”.
· Revelations the Premier failed to inform chair of the organising committee, Peggy O’Neal AO, at a meeting on June 19 that lawyers had been engaged for the purpose of cancelling the Commonwealth Games
· Continued uncertainty surrounding the origin of the $6 to $7 billion costings upon which the decision to cancel the Games was based.
Leader of the Opposition, John Pesutto, said: “The first step to improving integrity in Victorian politics is for Jacinta Allan to front the Commonwealth Games inquiry.
“Until the Premier comes clean and explains to Victorians what she knew and when she knew it, she can’t be believed.
“Today she again refused to answer important questions including when she provided an updated budget submission for the Games as well as the nature of the legal advice the Government was seeking and why it didn’t tell the chair of the organising committee it was considering cancelling the event.
“This is a test of Jacinta Allan’s leadership and character. Too many questions remain unanswered and Victorian taxpayers, who are footing the bill for this humiliating debacle, deserve to know how it all went so wrong.”
