Matter of Importance – Victoria Commonwealth Games
Senator BABET (Victoria—United Australia Party Whip) (18:51): If money management was a Commonwealth Games event, Victorian Premier Andrews would finish stone-cold last. The Premier deserves no credit for cancelling the games. He should never have bid for the games in the first place. Victoria was already broke—and still is broke—when Premier Andrews announced his intention to host the event. The Premier, Mr Daniel Andrews, has never been in a hole that he did not insist he could make deeper. He’s useless. He insisted on adding another $2.6 billion of debt by hosting the games. He now says the games were going to cost $6 billion—or was it $7 billion? Even today the Premier can’t nail down the cost to within $1,000 million.
Now the whole thing has been cancelled, Premier Andrews behaves like he deserves a medal. He doesn’t. Was the Commonwealth Games a ploy by the Premier to convince people in the regions to vote for him? It could have been. After the voters have put him on the podium, he just walks away from the games contract at a cost to the taxpayer yet to be disclosed. Small businesses invested in anticipation of these games. It should have been a boon for country towns. Instead, they are the victims of the Premier’s incompetence.
Premier Andrews has embarrassed the state. He has embarrassed the nation. He is the most irresponsible, reckless premier in Australia’s history. The man’s face gives me PTSD. I can’t stand the guy.
