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Athletes, staff to receive mental health support after Games cancellation
By Carla Jaeger
Australian Sports Commission boss Kieren Perkins said the federal organisation has offered support, including mental health services, to the athletes and supporting staff affected by the state government’s withdrawal from the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
“Today’s announcement regarding the Victorian 2026 Commonwealth Games has understandably been a difficult one for many in our Australian sporting community,” he said. “The immediate priority of the Australian Sports Commission is to ensure that our athletes, coaches, high performance and support staff are supported.
“For many of our athletes, coaches and support staff, Victoria 2026 was going to be an important stepping stone ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and for others it was to be the pinnacle of their careers.”
Australian Sports Commission chief executive Kieren Perkins.Credit: Getty
Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Australian Sports Commission said the organisation did not know the state government was terminating the contract until it was publicly announced by Premier Daniel Andrews.
Meanwhile, Australian swimmer Emma McKeon, the most decorated athlete in Commonwealth Games history with over 20 medals, has expressed her disappointment over the withdrawal.
“The Commonwealth Games have given me so many great memories and have provided some of the best experiences of my life,” the seven-time world record holder said on Tuesday. “They have been a huge part in helping me to get to the levels I have in swimming, and a home Games also gives the opportunity to inspire young Aussies to go after their dreams ... it’s disappointing to hear this news.”
Interim Swimming Australia boss Steve Newman echoed McKeon’s disappointment, adding that the cancellation was a blow for sports and athletes which had begun preparation for the Games.
“A home Commonwealth Games is a great opportunity for the Australian public to see athletes, across all sports, compete at home in the green and gold, but it’s also great for the community, so it is a blow,” he said.
Fortescue customer data stolen, hackers claim
By Tim Biggs
Notorious hacker group Cl0p says it has snatched sensitive data from Fortescue Metals Group, which would make the iron ore company the latest in a long line of breaches following Cl0p’s hack of the MOVEit file transfer protocol earlier this year.
Researchers believe the notorious hacker group Cl0p has ties to Russia. Credit: Bloomberg
The group, which researchers believe is tied to Russia, also claims to have stolen data from various government agencies, universities, law firms and companies, including PwC and Rio Tinto. It typically demands a ransom to prevent publishing of the information.
A spokesperson for Fortescue said information was stolen in May, but that it was not confidential in nature.
“We have strong measures in place to safeguard our business from potential cyber threats. Despite these efforts, Fortescue was subject to a low impact cyber incident on 28 May 2023 which resulted in the disclosure of a small portion of data from our networks,” the spokesperson said. “We notified the Australian Cyber Security Centre of the incident, and our internal investigation and remediation actions are now complete.”
Opposition says Albanese should take responsibility for Games cancellation
By Alex Crowe
Shadow sport minister Anne Ruston has responded to the Victorian government’s announcement the state will cancel its bid to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, saying Prime Minister Anthony Albanese should be very worried about the damage this does to Australia’s international reputation.
Ruston told reporters on Tuesday the prime minister should publicly take responsibility for the Victorian decision.
Liberal senator Anne Ruston in May 2022. Credit: James Brickwood
“It is not just Daniel Andrews’ lack of leadership, it is a lack of leadership from the Australian government to ensure Australia’s international reputation is not damaged in the way it has been this morning,” she said.
Ruston said the Liberal government was concerned to hear Andrews say the decision to cancel was an issue of finance and budget blowout.
“He said he will continue to deliver the really expensive parts of putting on the Games, and that is building the infrastructure legacy of housing and the tourism package. The only thing he will not be doing is actually delivering the Commonwealth Games.
“That is the very part of this investment that actually provides the return on investment. It is where the athletes, their families, the teams and spectators all come in from overseas with the opportunity to showcase our great country and the state of Victoria.”
Ruston has questioned the $7 billion cost put forward by Andrews.
“I would say that when we dig into the numbers of the announcement this morning by Mr Andrews, you will see that he’s been very loose with the truth and very rubbery with the figures he has provided to Australians,” he said.
Netball Australia boss stands by Vic government over Games cancellation
By Carla Jaeger
Netball Australia boss Kelly Ryan has stood by the Victorian government over its decision to cancel the Games, despite outrage from the Games’ organisers.
“Whilst we are disappointed our athletes won’t have the opportunity to showcase their skills in Victoria as part of the 2026 Commonwealth Games, we understand and respect the decision made by the Victorian government today,” Ryan said.
Netball Australia chief executive Kelly Ryan.
In October, Visit Victoria — an arm of the state government — entered into a $15 million partnership with Netball Australia to run until June 2027, which replaced the money the sport lost when Hancock Prospecting pulled its $15 million sponsorship deal.
“We have a fantastic partnership with the Victorian government and Visit Victoria and will continue to work with them on further opportunities to showcase our sport into the future,” Ryan said.
“Netball is a proud Commonwealth Games sport and our Australian Origin Diamonds love every opportunity they get to play in front of a home crowd.”
Ryan said the sport would work alongside Commonwealth Games Australia as they seek an alternative host.
Her words come after netball legend Jill McIntosh told this masthead that the potential loss of the tournament would be devastating for non-Olympic sports.
Victorians no closer to buying a house: Nationals leader
By Alex Crowe
Returning to the opposition press conference a short time ago, and Nationals leader Peter Walsh said regional Victorians were being punished for Labor’s incompetence, questioning whether a reallocation of Commonwealth Games funding to housing development would pay off.
“Ask someone in regional Victoria who can’t get a house as to whether this announcement today is going to get them any closer to getting a house, and they will say ‘we just don’t know because we have heard all this before’,” Walsh said. “This movie has played out a number of times and the promises have been broken.”
The Nationals leader said regional Victorians were being punished under the Andrews government. He said he particularly felt for the people of the Latrobe Valley who continued to miss out.
“They are now going to get zip, it is just a tragedy for regional Victoria,” he said.
Walsh said he would not hold his breath regarding the delivery of sporting infrastructure projects promised for the Latrobe Valley, Ballarat, Bendigo and Shepparton.
“The legacy of the Commonwealth Games for Victoria is that we are the laughing stock of the world, that we can no longer be relied on to host international events,” he said.
Pesutto said the Commonwealth Games were supposed to give Victoria’s regions an opportunity to shine on the international stage.“Today it’s been ripped from them,” he said.
Decision ‘disappointing’, but no fears for Brisbane 2032 Olympics, AOC says
By Michael Gleeson
The Australian Olympic Committee has criticised the Victorian government decision to pull out of hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games as enormously disappointing, but said there were no concerns for the Brisbane 2032 Olympics, which had a different funding model.
Australian Olympic Committee chief executive Matt Carroll in March. Credit: Rhett Wyman
“The AOC shares many sports with Commonwealth Games Australia. Clearly this is a blow to their ambitions for their athletes - and to promote participation in their sports and inspire future generations,” AOC chief executive Matt Carroll said. “The Olympic Games financial model is significantly different to the Commonwealth Games, given the substantial investment by the IOC towards Games’ costs.”
Equally, the IOC’s New Norm approach seeks to reduce spending through the use of existing infrastructure wherever possible.
“Brisbane 2032 remains a shining beacon on the sporting horizon, providing inspiration for athletes, sports and the broader community.”
‘Untold damage’: Pesutto says Andrews has shattered Victoria’s reputation
By Alex Crowe
Victorian Opposition Leader John Pesutto has slammed Premier Daniel Andrews’ decision to cancel the 2026 Commonwealth Games, saying the state’s reputation as a global events destination has taken a battering.
“Victoria has been a proud champion of major events and global events in our state,” he said. “We’ve always been able to rely on that, but today in an abrupt cancellation with virtually no consultation with anybody, Daniel Andrews and Jacinta Allan have done untold damage to our reputation.”
Pesutto fronted the media alongside Nationals leader Peter Walsh, and opposition Commonwealth Games spokesman David Southwick in Melbourne.
He said the Commonwealth Games were mentioned in the state budget just two months ago.
“How is it that the budget papers can be signed off by anybody at $2.6 billion, with the premier out today saying that they could cost as much as $7 billion?” Pesutto said.“What is going wrong under Daniel Andrews’ leadership that sees a figure of $2.6 billion formalised in the state budget only weeks ago put aside for an inflated figure of $7 billion.”
Watch: Victorian Opposition Leader John Pesutto
John Pesutto, Nationals leader Peter Walsh, and opposition Commonwealth Games spokesman David Southwick addressed the media in Melbourne.
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This afternoon’s headlines at a glance
By Caroline Schelle
Thanks for reading our live coverage of the latest news as we covered the latest on the PwC scandal and the shock decision to cancel the Commonwealth Games ahead of the event in 2026.
My colleague Angus Thomson will be taking over for the rest of the day.
But if you’re just joining us, here’s what you need to know:
- The Commonwealth Games organising body blamed the Victorian government for adding considerable expenses to the 2026 Games before abruptly cancelling the event.
- WA, NSW and South Australia have all ruled out hosting the Games, with the WA Premier Roger Cook labelling the event as “ruinously expensive”.
- The head of Commonwealth Games Australia says countries have already put their hands to host the event beyond 2026, but a former Australian sports minister has questioned the future of the Games.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced the Commonwealth Games would not be held in the state because they were too expensive.Credit: Joe Armao
- The written Yes and No cases that will form the official referendum pamphlet that will be sent to more than 12.5 million homes in the weeks before the vote have been published.
- Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen denounced Peter Dutton as the “alternative prime minister from the alt-right” in a speech, which the opposition has condemned as childish.
- EY’s Oceania chief executive David Larocca has hit out at consulting firm PwC, saying the actions of a group of partners at the firm have affected the entire sector.
- Property giant Lendlease is cutting 740 staff across its global business, equal to about 10 per cent of its workforce.
That’s it from me for the week, I will return to the blog next week after a brief break.
Western Sydney flagged as Commonwealth Games host
By Sarah Keoghan
As the fallout of Victoria’s 2026 Commonwealth Games decision continues, Greater Western Sydney has been tossed up as a legitimate option to take over hosting duties.
The idea has been coined by the Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue, a non-for-profit think-tank which advocates for the area.
This is despite NSW Premier Chris Minns earlier saying the cost of the event, coupled with a bulging COVID debt in the state, meant it was not a priority and ruled out bidding to host it.
NSW Premier Chris Minns earlier ruled out hosting the event. Credit: AAP
However, dialogue boss Adam Leto said the move would be low-cost due to the existing facilities at Sydney Olympic Park, and others at Liverpool, Penrith and Bankstown.
“Back in 2017, when we first put our hands up to host the 2026 games, we said that we were a smart choice, given our strong track record when it comes to delivering major events – and our position hasn’t changed,” Leto said.
“Ideally, it would be great if the Games could be pushed back a year to 2027 to allow Western Sydney International Airport at Badgerys Creek to be up and running to welcome the world to our region.”
Leto said the NSW government was urged to place a bid for Western Sydney in 2017 for the 2026 Games, which received a positive response.
However, no official bid was made.
“It’s been more than two decades since the Olympic flame went out in Sydney, but all of our venues that were constructed for the Games remain in good condition and still have mainstream use today,” he said.
“It’s a no-brainer, and even better, it’s a no-spender.”
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2023-07-18 04:37:02Z
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