City officials in Perth and Melbourne are "leading an Australian push" to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games after Durban was "stripped of the right" this week, according to Ian Ransom of REUTERS. Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi said, "An event of the scale of the Commonwealth Games would further enhance Perth as a world-class city and destination and greatly stimulate the economy." Melbourne hosted the 2006 Commonwealth Games, and Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said that local residents would "gladly welcome" the '22 event. Doyle: "We are one of the few cities in the world with existing sporting infrastructure that can cope with a major world event like the Commonwealth Games." The state governments will "need to throw their weight behind the push" for Melbourne and Perth to be considered. Neither have "committed to an official pitch" but Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said that his government would have a "close look at it" (REUTERS, 3/16). In London, Matt Majendie reported London Mayor Sadiq Khan said that there has been "no approach to City Hall and that it was unlikely to be viable" for the capital to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games without Government backing. Khan: "No one has approached me but the key thing is to make sure the sums add up. ... What I don’t want to do is use taxpayers’ money to subsidise an event unless there’s a good business case and unless there’s Government support. I’m not sure we’d be bidding as such for it" (EVENING STANDARD, 3/16).