The controversial cartoon was published by The Herald Sun in response to evidence given at an inquiry into Victoria's cancellation of the 2026 Commonwealth Games ©Herald Sun

Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan has criticised a cartoon depicting her as naked, which was published following evidence at a Parliamentary inquiry into the cancellation of the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

The cartoon was printed by The Herald Sun and shows Allan as a nude catwalk model at Melbourne Fashion Week, with some pixellation, and the caption "From the Commonwealth Games cancellation collection ... the premier's new clothes."

The work by the paper’s cartoonist Mark Knight is based on Hans Christian Andersen folktale The Emperor’s New Clothes, although Allan claimed it used "sexualised imagery."

"It's 2023," she told reporters.

"It's pretty reasonable to expect that the Herald Sun in-house cartoonist should be able to draw women without using sexualised imagery.

"They've done that. It's a matter for them."

Knight disputed that he had used "sexualised imagery", claiming in a radio interview: "I felt that some of the information that was coming out left the Premier a little bit exposed and my cartoonist brains clicked into gear and it was Fashion Week and, I thought, 'well, this is not a bad idea.'”

Commonwealth Games Australia chief executive Craig Phillips told an inquiry they were confident they were confident the Government would meet requirements despite budget pressure ©Getty Images
Commonwealth Games Australia chief executive Craig Phillips told an inquiry they were confident they were confident the Government would meet requirements despite budget pressure ©Getty Images

During the inquiry, Commonwealth Games Australia chief executive Craig Phillips explained that alongside fellow organisers, they met with Allan, then the Minister in charge of delivering the Games.

"We got the impression that she was very confident the budget would be available," Phillips said.

"We knew there was budget pressure, and we were involved in some of those discussions through April into May but I think we were always confident that the Government would meet the requirements."

Allan’s predecessor as State Premier Daniel Andrews took a shock decision in July to cancel Victoria’s hosting of the 2026 Commonwealth Games, citing increasing costs.

Victoria agreed to pay AUD$380 million (£200 million/$244 million/€229 million) as compensation for pulling out of hosting the Games, although Phillips told the inquiry the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) had yet to receive the payment.

Allan has repeatedly refused to face the inquiry, calling it "a political witch-hunt", while the CGF is currently without a host for the event, with an update promised at the organisation's General Assembly, due to be held in Singapore in November.

In August, CGF chief executive Katie Sadleir exclusively told insidethegames the organisation was open to delaying the event until 2027 in order to allow more time for a new host to be found.