Nearly two-thirds of Queenslanders doubt the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games can be delivered within its set budget, according to exclusive polling conducted for this masthead.
uncertain
Games → doubt → masthead
The state LNP government has long insisted its 2032 delivery plan, jointly funded by the Commonwealth, would be delivered within the agreed $7.1 billion funding envelope.
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plan → insist → envelope
But the Resolve Political Monitor survey of 434 Queensland voters, conducted between October 6 and 10, found the Crisafulli government’s messaging had failed to assuage voter concerns about cost blowouts over the next six years.
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messaging → conduct → years
Just 24 per cent are confident the Games would stay on budget, compared with 63 per cent who are not.
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who → stay → cent
Only 4 per cent are “very confident” the Games will be delivered on budget, while 36 per cent are “not at all confident”.
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cent → deliver → budget
When confronted with the polling, Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie insisted voters had nothing to be concerned about.
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voters → confront → nothing
“Unlike [former Labor premier and current opposition leader] Steven Miles’ flip-flopping, fake plan and repeated budget blowouts, we’re focused on delivering the infrastructure Queensland needs with financial discipline and transparency,” he said.
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he → flop → discipline
“Venues will be delivered within the $7.1 billion funding envelope, as agreed with the federal government.”
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Venues → deliver → government
The Miles government scrapped an earlier Labor plan to rebuild the Gabba in favour of having the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre as Brisbane 2032’s main stadium.
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government → scrap → stadium
Shortly after its election, the Crisafulli government conducted a 100-day review to eventually settle on a new stadium at Victoria Park.
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government → conduct → Park
Overall, the Resolve polling shows confidence in the state’s ability to deliver the 2032 Olympics within or close to its $7.1 billion budget remained low across all major voter groups.
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confidence → show → groups
The most sceptical respondents were One Nation supporters, of whom 74 per cent expected the Games to go over budget.
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Games → expect → budget
It also had the largest cohort of not-at-all confident voters, at 50 per cent.
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It → have → cent
Just 15 per cent of One Nation voters expected the Games to come in on budget – 6 per cent were very confident, and 9 per cent were fairly confident.
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cent → expect → budget
The most optimistic respondents were largely from the left side of politics, with 29 per cent of Labor and Greens voters expressing confidence – the same percentage as uncommitted voters – closely followed by LNP voters on 28 per cent.
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cent → express → cent
Of those confident Labor voters, only 6 per cent were very confident, with the remaining 23 per cent “fairly confident”.
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cent → remain → voters
A quarter were not very confident, but the single biggest cohort – 30 per cent – had no confidence whatsoever.
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cohort → have → confidence
Among Greens supporters, about 29 per cent were confident the Games would be delivered on or close to budget (6 per cent very confident, 24 per cent fairly confident).
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cent → deliver → budget
However, 60 per cent were not confident, including 34 per cent who were “not at all confident”.
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who → include → cent
Even among supporters of the governing LNP, sceptics outnumbered believers more than two to one.
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sceptics → govern → one
Twenty-eight per cent expressed confidence the Games would be delivered within budget, but just 3 per cent were “very confident”, while 25 per cent were “fairly confident”.
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cent → express → budget
A clear majority, 61 per cent, were not confident, including 29 per cent who were devoid of confidence.
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who → include → confidence
In marginal seats, 64 per cent expected costs to soar above $7.1 billion, with 41 per cent “not at all confident” costs could be reined in.
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costs → expect → billion
Just 23 per cent thought expenditure would stick to budget.
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expenditure → think → budget
Former premier Campbell Newman, who shared a cabinet table with Crisafulli and Bleijie during his time in the state’s top job, has long warned of potential cost blowouts at the Victoria Park site.
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who → share → site
Newman said the poll numbers showed “the public seem to get” it would be difficult to deliver the Games on budget.
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it → say → budget
“I find it quite remarkable that self-identified LNP voters don’t believe they’re going to deliver on budget – that’s very telling,” he said.
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he → find → budget
“We’re entitled to expect better, a lot better, and an LNP government should be absolutely committed to being responsible with our dollars.”
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government → entitle → dollars
Newman said Queensland’s recent credit downgrade was a direct result of the government “abandon[ing] any sense of fiscal responsibility” when it came to the Games.
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it → say → Games
Miles also cited the credit downgrade when asked about the poll numbers.
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Miles → cite → numbers
“S&P Global warned David Crisafulli that an Olympic blowout would result in a further credit rating downgrade, costing Queenslanders millions of dollars in extra interest payments,” the opposition leader said.
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leader → warn → payments
“The premier must release the true cost of the Olympics after promising to be open and transparent before the election.”
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premier → release → election
The Aporia
