Finance Minister Carole James has issued the following statement about the 2022 Commonwealth Games bid:

“I would like to thank the bid committee for its incredible effort in preparing the 2022 Commonwealth Games proposal in such a short period of time.

“While we appreciate the energy and passion of the bid committee, we cannot make a commitment to support the bid through direct funding, nor can we provide a financial shortfall guarantee.

“We have analyzed the bid committee’s work and see that too many details remain unknown to fully understand the costs, obligations and risks associated with hosting such a large-scale event. Those include commitments from the federal government and local governments, commitments on revenues from the Games, finalized venue locations, costs for security and emergency response, as well as any added costs to the Province, like transit, transportation infrastructure and health services that would come with the influx of athletes, coaches, dignitaries and visitors.

“Our government was elected with a very clear set of priorities. Those priorities are helping communities impacted by the wildfires and those suffering from the opioid crisis, focusing on making life more affordable for British Columbians and adding to long-term economic growth throughout the province.

“The Commonwealth Games have a long history of promoting sport and inspiring communities. I expect B.C. communities will bid for future Games, such as the 100th anniversary in 2030. The Province will happily consider those proposals when there is more time to do the work necessary to protect B.C. taxpayers from financial uncertainty.”