Australia’s favourite dictator, Comrade Kim Jong-Dan of the Democratic People’s Republic of Victoria, has struck again. After spending months negotiating for Victoria to hold the 2026 Commonwealth Games — and running on that platform — he cancelled the games. After only a few months, the same people who said that the games would cost A$2 billion suddenly realised that they’d cost A$7 billion. Of course, cost overruns and unexpected cost increases are part of any building process. But… A difference of A$5 billion within months is a bit much. Part of the Victorian Labour Party’s strength in regional cities at the last election came from the promise of new infrastructure and facilities as a result of the Commonwealth Games.
That the games would be expensive was already well-known. South Australia had explored a bid, but chose not to proceed after they concluded it would be a loss-maker. Other Australian officials, such as the premier of Western Australia, held the same stance. That’s political maturity and responsibility. If something is going to cost more than it’s worth, don’t bid on it — or, at very least, cancel a bit early on. For athletes from Commonwealth countries, the Commonwealth games are a good chance to shine. They receive global exposure, but don’t have the Americans or Chinese crowding them out.
The games themselves are not in doubt. The UK and India are ready to host the games on relatively short notice, should the Gold Coast, which is prepared to hold the games, not go through. (Anastasia of the South Seas and Canberra would have to provide some funding — a possibility, but not a guarantee) What bemuses me is that Comrade Kim Jong-Dan acts with such brazen impunity. To begin with, the cost overrun of A$5 billion within months is not insubstantial. In any reasonable jurisdiction, heads would roll. The sudden cancellation will most likely cost billions in compensation. Again, in any reasonable jurisdiction, the head would be in hot water. Not in the Democratic People’s Republic of Victoria, it seems. Although there is a Senate inquiry in the works, it’s less certain what will come of it.
Boadicea's Chariot 
Dan has been compared to Sturgeon in a recent article. Certainly to cancel the games at such short notice is devastating for athletes who have been training for years. Has Dan been buying motorhomes or ordering new ferries for somewhere? I am eagerly awaiting the news that Sturgeon has been charged with financial misdeeds. Perhaps Dan can only be charged with incompetence a la Nicola. I look forward to hearing Boadicea’s take on this.
Sheona: Realistically speaking, the athletes would be impacted, but only marginally. The Commonwealth Games are popular enough that another host — the UK, India, Malaysia, Canada or South Africa could be found on relatively short notice. The biggest shock to them would be passing uncertainty. In order to submit a bid, a lot of work has to be done — not just by a state government, but by local authorities. It costs money, time and resources to gather bids, to start on projects, to make initial payments. Companies building and renovating facilities have to make purchasing commitments, hire and train new employees, etc. Between what has already been spent and what will need to be spent in compensation, Victoria will not be saving that much money. After all, local authorities, contractors and vendors will not only have to be compensated for what they’ve spent, but also for what potential revenue they lost.
The difference between Nicky the Fish and Kim Jong-Dan is that Nicky the Fish is by far the more intelligent of the two. Kim Jong-Dan has been too obvious, too brazen. The only thing he does know how to do is to pick the thicker edge of a wedge issue and assume that position, thus putting himself on the side of a plurality.