Victoria’s Commonwealth Games legal bill balloons to $1.3m
The Victorian government spent nearly $1.3 million on lawyers to negotiate the fallout of its shock decision to axe the Commonwealth Games, documents have revealed.
Details of the legal costs were released on Tuesday through a questionnaire that was filled out by the Department of Premier and Cabinet in response to an upper house inquiry into the cancelled Games, which begins later this month.
Former Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announces on July 18 the cancellation of the Commonwealth Games. Joe Armao
Law firm Arnold Bloch Leibler pocketed $1,265,982 for “legal services regarding withdrawal from hosting 2026 Commonwealth Games”, according to the documents.
The work was said to have begun in June, meaning former Premier Daniel Andrews engaged the law firm at least three weeks informing the public.
Mr Andrews cancelled the Games on July 18 after saying costs had blown out from $2.6 billion to up to $7 billion, with the government eventually paying out $380 million to Commonwealth Games bodies in compensation.
The documents also reveal that the Victorian government hired out Frances Gordon KC for three weeks’ work on the negotiations, which cost $19,745.
Victoria’s top public servant, Jeremi Moule, was also flown to London to personally advise the Commonwealth Games Federation that the Games would be dropped.
His eight-day trip cost more than $22,000, including $14,773 on airfares and $6200 on accommodation.
Opposition Leader John Pesutto said: “This is further evidence of how Labor has torched taxpayers money and another reason why Jacinta Allan needs to appear before the parliamentary inquiry and explain her role in the Commonwealth Games debacle.”
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