Which Victorian premier announced the state's 2026 Games cancellation?

Daniel Andrews, Victoria’s premier, announced the state’s cancellation of its 2026 Commonwealth Games plans.

Andrews made the announcement on 18 July 2023 alongside Deputy Premier Jacinta Allan. He said the projected cost had risen far beyond the original budget and that the government could not justify diverting public money from other priorities, such as hospitals and schools, to stage the event.

Victoria had been selected to host the Games in 2022, with an unusual regional model centred on Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat and the Latrobe Valley rather than Melbourne alone. The proposal was promoted as a way to deliver lasting infrastructure and housing benefits outside the state capital.

The other names in the choices held different roles or served at different times. Steve Bracks and John Brumby were former Victorian premiers, while Jacinta Allan was deputy premier when the cancellation was announced and later became premier herself. That makes Andrews the single canonical answer to the question.