Vic govt seeks to divert Commonwealth Games inquiry
The Victorian government is attempting to divert a parliamentary inquiry into the cancellation of the 2026 Commonwealth Games to the auditor-general.
Debate to set up a nine-member parliamentary select committee into the saga began in the upper house on Wednesday morning.
Victorian Labor minister Harriet Shing said the government would move an amendment to the motion to request the auditor-general probe the cancellation rather than a select committee.
She said it was unfortunate the change had come about at the last minute but the auditor-general was the most appropriate person to review what happened.
Premier Daniel Andrews last month announced Victoria would pull out of hosting the 2026 Games, citing a forecast rise in cost from $2.6 billion to between $6 billion and $7 billion.
Opposition upper house leader Georgie Crozier said a parliamentary inquiry was needed to restore trust in government and provide answers.
“It needs to be undertaken so we can get to the bottom of what went wrong,” she said.
– AAP