Victoria completely botched hosting the Commonwealth Games – but now it wants to splash more taxpayer money to hold another major international sporting event

Victoria has put itself forward as a candidate to host another major sporting event, despite the sensational cancellation of the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Melbourne has made it to the final list of candidates to host the 2030 Gay Games, after former Prime Minister Daniel Andrews called off the Commonwealth Games despite previously agreeing to host the event.

The Gay Games are expected to be a major economic driver for the host city. Paris made a profit of $118 million in 2018 after hosting the event.

But opponents criticize the state’s willingness to host the event after it agreed to Melbourne and five regional cities in Victoria will host the 2026 Commonwealth Games in April 2022, before withdrawing in July 2023.

Then-Premier Andrews justified the cancellation of the 2026 Games by arguing that the event’s original budget of $2.6 billion had subsequently grown to more than $7 billion.

The cancellation cost Victorian taxpayers $586 million, including $380 million in damages to Commonwealth Games organisers.

Former Premier Jeff Kennett said he had no confidence the state government could deliver the Gay Games.

“Why would anyone, any organising committee, trust the State Government to deliver,” Mr Kennett said told the Herald Sun.

Just over a year ago, former Premier Daniel Andrews sensationally pulled out of Victoria’s bid to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games

Mr Kennett added that Victorians are unlikely to trust their government’s price estimates, as it has seriously underestimated the cost of the Commonwealth Games.

“Has there been a careful investigation into the costs and feasibility, or is this simply an application without a business plan, like the Commonwealth Games?” Mr Kennett said.

‘If that is the case, it should be made public so that the public can have confidence that the government knows what it is doing.’

The state government, now led by Premier Jacinta Allan, took the decision to crack down on the Gay Games within months of Mr Andrews cancelling the Commonwealth Games.

Ben Houston, the chairman of Commonwealth Games Australia, said the decision to cancel the Games “calls into question Australia’s integrity to deliver world-class events”.

“The cost of cancelling the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Victoria is enormous… and that’s not even counting the reputational damage it will cause,” Houston said.

In May, a parliamentary inquiry concluded that Victoria’s bid to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games had been rushed and based on grossly underestimated costs.

The Games seemed to have an uncertain future after Andrews’ cancellation, until Scotland offered to revive the event in Glasgow. This proposal is still under consideration.

Victoria’s Shadow Minister for Tourism, Sport and Events Sam Groth has criticised the Labor government for “wasting” almost $600 million.

“How can any Victorian have confidence that Labor can deliver this event?” he said.

In response, a Victorian Government spokesperson said: “We are always looking for new opportunities and events” as the nation “capital of major events’.

The state government declined to provide the publication with cost estimates or plans for staging the event in 2030.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to the Victorian Government for comment.

Prime Minister Jacinta Allan’s government took the decision to crack down on the Gay Games within months of Andrews cancelling the 2026 Commonwealth Games (pictured together)

In May, a parliamentary hearing concluded that Victoria had “grossly” underestimated the cost of the 2026 Commonwealth Games before agreeing to host them.

Melbourne is one of 10 finalists in contention to host the event, up against Perth, Adelaide, Auckland, Cape Town, Frankfurt, Denver, Taipei, Vancouver and Edmonton.

The Gay Games are a 10-day event that celebrates and promotes homosexuality. lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and athletes.

According to the website, the event is open to everyone, “regardless of your sexual orientation, gender, age or other characteristics.”

In December, there were 25 cities participating in the Games, but now only 10 remain.

In May, staff from the office of Victoria’s Minister for Major Events, Steve Dimopoulos, hosted a meeting with Gay Games advocates.

The state representatives will then go to Washington will officially introduce its city to organizers in October.

The Gay Games were first held in San Francisco in 1982 and other hosts have included Hong Kong, Guadalajara in Mexico in 2023 and Sydney in 2002.