After Daniel Andrews sensationally canceled the Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games, there are now calls for the Brisbane 2032 Olympics to be scrapped.
On Tuesday morning the Victorian Premier shocked the sport and wider community by saying the state could not afford to spend $7 billion.
“I will not take money from hospitals and schools to finance an event that is three times the estimated and budgeted for last year ($2.6 billion),” he said.
Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather is now leading the charge to pursue and cancel the 2032 Summer Olympics in Brisbane.
‘Dan Andrews says a $6 billion blow to cancel Commonwealth Games was “well and truly too much for a 12-day sporting event”,’ Mr Chandler-Mather tweeted.
After Daniel Andrews (pictured second right) sensationally canceled the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, there are now calls for the Brisbane 2032 Olympics to be scrapped.
‘So how does QLD and Fed Labor justify spending $7 billion on the Brisbane Olympics and destroying a local school and park for a 14 day event.’
State Greens MP Amy McMahon, who represents South Brisbane, backed her federal colleague, saying the Andrews government had ‘rightly recognised’ such large sporting events were not good for host locations.
‘It’s a recognition that events like the Commonwealth and Olympic Games come at a huge cost to housing, public services, schools and hospitals,’ he said.
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Should Brisbane cancel the 2032 Olympics and spend the billions elsewhere?
‘Every day Queenslanders will pay with underfunded services (and) a growing housing crisis.’
While there was some support for Mr Chandler-Mather’s view – such as the person who tweeted ‘ending the Olympics is a great idea’ – most commentators disagreed.
‘If you think the Commonwealth Games and the Olympic Games are the same, you are seriously mistaken,’ wrote one.
‘Com games are England, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and some African countries. The Olympics actually mean something,’ said another.
Others used Mr Chandler-Mather’s comments to play the man, not the ball.
‘You are Mr. Anti-Progressive,’ wrote one. ‘Guess I’d classify you as a left conservative who talks for the sake of talking.’
‘Do you ever have anything to say?’ asked another.
But with NSW, Western Australia and South Australia all rejecting moves to take the baton from Victoria for the Commonwealth Games, the Greens’ first term hopes of leaving Brisbane’s Olympics are slim.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said on Tuesday afternoon that the state was ‘100 per cent committed’ to hosting the Olympics.
Anyone hoping he might offer to take over the reins of the 2026 Commonwealth Games to run practice for the Olympics will be disappointed.
Australian winners: Silver medalist Molly O’Callaghan, gold medalist Ariane Titmus and bronze medalist Maddison Wilson pose with their Commonwealth Games medals for the 200m freestyle on July 29, 2022
Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather is leading the charge for Brisbane to scrap the 2032 Summer Olympics.
Australia celebrates victory during the netball gold medal match against Jamaica at the 2022 Commonwealth Games at the NEC Arena in Birmingham
“There may be an opportunity for other states to put their hand up,” Ms Palaszczuk said, although it seemed unlikely with most states in Australia already saying ‘thanks, but no thanks’.
Ms Palaszczuk’s deputy, Steven Miles, said there were many differences between Victoria 2026 and Brisbane 2032.
‘Firstly, Queensland has found itself in a much better budgetary position and we have a rapidly growing population,’ he said.
‘So the venues and infrastructure we’re building in Queensland is for that growing population.’
A rare deal came from Brisbane’s LNP Lord Mayor Adrian Shriner.
Mr Shriner, who is a member of the Brisbane 2032 board, said while he sympathized with Victoria’s plight, he had no doubts about his city’s ability to host the Olympics.
“I understand it’s a challenging decision for Melbourne,” he told the Brisbane Times.
‘But at the end of the day, you look at the cost of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games and then you compare it to the benefits – the $18 billion benefits were set out a few years ago by state government reports.’
Brisbane 2032 president Andrew Liveris said the Olympic and Commonwealth Games had very different funding models.
‘The Commonwealth Games operate on a different business model to the Olympic and Paralympic Games, particularly in terms of event delivery, infrastructure use and commercial revenue models,’ he said.
‘In addition, the International Olympic Committee provides invaluable support to organizing committees with running costs, and learning from previous Games and best practice.’
Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) chief executive Matt Carroll backed Mr Liveris to say the Brisbane Olympic Games are safe in nine years’ time.
‘The AOC shares many sports with Commonwealth Games Australia. Obviously this is a blow to their ambitions for their athletes – and to promote their participation in sport and inspire future generations,’ Mr Carroll said.
‘Brisbane 2032 remains a shining beacon on the sporting horizon, providing inspiration for athletes, sport and the wider community.’
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (pictured right) and Deputy Premier Steven Miles (left) are both fully committed to the Brisbane 2032 Olympics as planned.
Australian Olympic Committee chief executive Matt Carroll (pictured) says the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games are safe
Dr Tom Heenan, a sport lecturer at Melbourne’s Monash University, said Victoria should stop being referred to as Australia’s sporting capital.
‘(Victoria 2026) was flawed from the start. Highlighting the Games at regional centers (Commonwealth Games’) is diminishing the global importance,’ he said.
‘Adding salt to the state’s wounds, the cancellation coincided with the start of the Women’s (football) World Cup. In the most important sporting event since the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Melbourne is a bit-player to Sydney and Brisbane.
This embarrassment along with the cancellation of the ‘Commonwealth Games’ indicates that the self-proclaimed sports capital has lost its mantle to its northern neighbours.’
Timeline of 2026 Commonwealth Games
March 2017 – Durban is stripped of the 2022 Commonwealth Games December 2017 – Birmingham is named as the replacement host for the 2022 Games, instead of hosting the 2026 Games February 2022 – Victoria makes an exclusive bid to host the Games – Victoria 2022 Games awards. May 2022 not the first to be hosted by a city – Victorian Government commits $2.6 billion to Games June 2022 – Former Victorian Covid-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar appointed chief executive of Games Organizing Committee July 2022 – Dates locked in February Done – March 2026August 2022 – Former Richmond Football Club President Peggy O’Neill announced as Chair of the Games Organizing Committee October 2022 – Full list of sports for the Games released March 2023 – Former swimmer Petraia Thomas re-appointed as Australia’s Chef de Citapri Mission for the Games Engaged Greater Geelong says it will spend about $8 million on May 2023 event – Federal budget allocates no money for Games in May 2023 – Tenders to build sports venue go out in July 2023 – Victorian Government announces that It will no longer host the Games because they will be too expensive
– AAP