Even if it keeps just one victorian family from sleeping in a tent, surely Daniel Andrews’ snap decision to cancel the Commonwealth Games is hard to argue against, writes Madonna King
We ask our politicians to be financially responsible and to be like the rest of us navigating a cost of living crisis that has some people living in tents, hot bedding, and bunking down in cars each night.
And when they do – as Victorian Premier Dan Andrews has this week – we attack them as weak and pathetic, and demand they resign immediately.
We can’t have it both ways.
Dan Andrews broke a promise to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Victoria.
That’s unfortunate, but name a politician who hasn’t broken a promise.
He’s also looked a bit dodgy on the big numbers. A month ago, the Commonwealth Games were costing Victoria $3 billion; now it’s between $6 billion and $7 billion.
The Premier needs to explain that.
And an apology to our athletes and all those whose lives have revolved around a date in Victoria in 2026 should be forthcoming.
But is it possible that, like the rest of us who are cutting our cloth to make ends meet, this is an unfortunate but responsible decision that will save taxpayers in the long-term?
Isn’t the money he’s now pledged for housing and the regions a gift that might materially change more people’s lives than 12 days of sport, as he termed it?
What would happen if the Andrews Government charged on, full-steam, to 2026 falling further and further behind – what judgement would we then make of the premier’s leadership,?
It would be irresponsible. Unsustainable. Dishonest. Financial reprehensible. We’d want his head on a block.
So while Dan Andrews certainly has questions to answer, we should be very careful about attacking a politician for fronting up to a camera, and being brave enough to cancel a party he knows would deliver him votes.
And to claim his Government’s call will end the Commonwealth Games for all all time, besmirch Australia’s reputation for sport, and lead to us being an international laughing stock is one medal short of preposterous.
One recent poll showed how we are all counting pennies, with fingers and toes crossed, as the economy carries on like a drunken sailor.
More than half of us would struggle to meet an unexpected major expense – and just a tiny slice of the population believe the economy will improve in the short term.
Perhaps the Andrews Government is seeing the same black storm clouds that are hovering over many of our homes. We should hope all our governments are cognisant of that.
Just consider the optics of a Commonwealth Games in 2026, stretching across Victoria, while the number of homeless multiple, the demand on social services skyrockets, and regions head for bankruptcy.
What would we be saying about this week’s decision then?
Other states know that; otherwise the premiers of New South Wales and Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia wouldn’t have so quickly ruled out stepping in, and taking over.
The lessons for Queensland, which is set to stage the 2032 Olympics, are numerous and we’d do well to heed them.
There’s no suggestion the Olympic party won’t go ahead. But we need to be strategic. We need to put the best possible people in place to run the Games, with an eye to the legacy it will leave.
We need to eschew politics and strive for bipartisanship in all big decisions. And we should be reducing extraneous costs. Every cent matters, and we should see that in accountable and transparent budgeting.
And, crucially, we need to ensure none of that is at the expense of those Queenslanders who tonight will bed down rough, unable to find rental accommodation or who can no longer afford the mortgage bill.