"Honest cops"? No such thing, given the fact that the organisation is not 'honourable' but rather corrupt.
‘This is another example of taxpayers’ money torched by the Labor government’: John Pesutto
Before the Commonwealth Games were dumped, Victoria Police had already spent millions setting up a dedicated unit and flying officers to the Birmingham Games.
Victoria Police spent $6m setting up a dedicated unit to prepare for the now-scrapped Commonwealth Games as the scandal continues to grow over the cancelled 2026 event.
The money – which could have paid the annual salary of 80 new recruits – included $100,000 to send a delegation of senior police to the Birmingham Games for three weeks and another to a Gold Coast workshop.
Of the total, about $5.4m was spent on salaries for 74 employees including an Assistant Commissioner, four superintendents and 14 inspectors.
Funding also went to establish command structures, recruit staff and conduct strategic planning.
The spend for the police’s special Commonwealth Games Command was detailed in a submission to the parliamentary inquiry probing the cancellation of the event.
All members of the command have been redeployed.
“Victoria Police were actively engaging with colleagues from West Midlands Police and Queensland Police Service to support lessons learnt and planning processes,” the submission said of the two trips.
“Additionally Victoria Police, in conducting preliminary security vulnerability and risk assessments, were engaging with local venue managers and local councils to facilitate access to sites and familiarise local members with proposed designs.
“This was occurring across all regional hubs, dependent on the development progress of venues and the venue operational planning process.”
Police had also begun meeting First Nations groups to discuss cultural considerations for police operations.
It is understood police had decided to set up a dedicated command following their experience at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games.
It was anticipated the complexities of a regional games would make policing the event more difficult.
In its submission, Victoria Police raised concerns about the amount of money it had to prepare for and then oversee the event.
“Servicing the Games policing operation, while maintaining (business as usual) police services, required an initial uplift for incoming staff to the Command,” it said.
It comes days after revelations a Melbourne law firm was secretly hired weeks before it was announced the Games were going to be scrapped and paid $1.26m to negotiate the state’s exit.
Jacinta Allan, who then led the Commonwealth Games preparation portfolio, said she first learnt legal firm Arnold Bloch Leibler had been brought in to handle the cancellation was the day it was announced.
It was just 24 hours after she told parliament the event was on track to proceed.
Opposition Leader John Pesutto said the $6m police spend was more wasted money added to millions in consultancy fees and the state’s $380m cancellation fee.
“This is another example of taxpayers’ money torched by the Labor government for an event that never happened,” he said.
Ms Allan denied any indication the Games were in jeopardy before their cancellation.
“We were working on how to best deliver the regional Games model consistent with the agreement that was signed by the government with the Commonwealth Games Federation and Commonwealth Games, Australia,” she said.
“We were looking at all the options on how to deliver those Games.”
Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes said the government was always looking at better ways to spend state cash.
“I think the premier has made it very clear in relation to the decisions around the cancellation of the Commonwealth Games,” she said on Friday.
“What we know is that for a 12-day event, the numbers were not stacking up.
“That’s why the government made the decision to cancel the Games to ensure that that expenditure could be better spent in the priorities of Victorians.
“It’s all about identifying priorities, identifying what’s important to Victorians, whether it’s recruiting police, investing in hospitals and schools.
“That’s what underpins the decision, to ensure we can continue to invest where we should be.”
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