Victoria paid for Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games. It’s not the state’s only recent sporting debacle

The 2026 Commonwealth Games have started in Glasgow with a stripped-back ten-sport event that is largely funded by Victorian taxpayers. The Victorian government controversially walked away from its hosting commitments in 2023, citing a projected cost blowout. Victoria could not envision hosting the games for less than A$6 billion – yet Glasgow is budgeted to deliver the games at about 5% of this cost: £150 million (A$290 million). Astonishingly, there is to be no United Kingdom or Scottish…