The Victorian government has hit back at criticism Shane Warne’s mammoth MCG memorial service was too expensive.
The cricket legend died aged 52 in March 2022 and was farewelled in a tax payer-funded service which was revealed on Wednesday to have cost the public $1.6 million.
Major Events, Sport and Tourism Minister Steve Dimopoulos said commemorating the life of “iconic” Victorians was a cost worth paying for.
“There’s no right or wrong about this. What is right is celebrating the life of outstanding Victorians who have gone,” Mr Dimopoulos said.
“I think the better question to ask is how we provide the Victorian community with the best opportunity to honour and celebrate the life of people they’ve loved.”
Mr Dimopoulos went on to compare Mr Warne’s service with other figures who died in the past year.
“These are iconic figures. Whether it’s Shane Warne or Archie Roach,” he said.
“All Victorians have the opportunity to celebrate their lives with dignity and some fanfare because it’s deserve.”
“I would rather be accused of being over the top than not celebrating and giving Victorians the chance to celebrate the life of iconic people in this state who have gone forever.”
Mr Dimopoulos said a public and large memorial was decided by the government in collaboration with Mr Warne’s family.
“We do these with dignity. We do them in consultation with the family and we do them in different venues because the venue relies on the connection with the person you are celebrating,” he said.
“Whether it be the MCG or the Hamer Hall, I think you’ll find most Victorians have found a way to be part of the journey of the farewell of these high profile individuals.”
Eddie McGuire, who MC’d the service, also chimed in with support, saying the service gave a place for Victorians to mourn.
“In a lot of ways, we saw this as being Victoria’s funeral,” Mr McGuire told 3AW.
“I had to bury my mother with 10 people in the room (due to Covid) at the funeral.
“I got great succour out of the fact that we all came together for a collective funeral in the name of our great mate Shane Warne.”
The free service featured remote performances from Elton John, Robbie Williams and Chris Martin and more than 55,000 people attended.