In hindsight, announcing a definitive stance on perhaps the most divisive issue in Tasmania six weeks after a state election may not have been the best timing.
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Of the many take-outs from the March 23 ballot, it was most interesting to note that the only major party which categorically stated they were opposed to the stadium had their best election ever, boosting their lower house representation from two to five MPs.
Calling The Greens a major party may be a bit of a stretch but no more so than calling this Labor Party the opposition.
A serious opposition would not be forming opinions on pivotal issues just as its rivals are getting comfortable in their respective minority government portfolios.
Last week, newly-installed Labor leader Dean Winter announced the biggest red U-turn since Postman Pat confused Greendale for Evandale on his van's satnav.
The party's justification for the change of position was because it would create jobs.
"A stadium will mean thousands of jobs in construction, including hundreds of apprenticeships," Mr Winter proclaimed on May 6. "That's why Labor will be backing a new stadium."
To underline the point, the following day he held a press conference at the new Bridgewater bridge in order to be photographed in front of lots of construction workers wearing high-vis clothing.
But job creation is such a lame argument.
Building giant statues of Postman Pat out of Killiecrankie diamonds on a raft in the Derwent River creates plenty of jobs, but it doesn't make it a sensible thing to do.
(What is it with the Postman Pat references? Please desist, The Ed).
Leading into the election under Mr Winter's predecessor Rebecca White, Labor's stance appeared to be that, if elected, they planned to renegotiate with the AFL over how Tasmania getting the league's 19th licence was dependent on a proposed $715 million new Hobart stadium.
This was the same AFL which had stated there would be no renegotiating the deal signed by delighted duo Gillon McLachlan and Jeremy Rockliff almost exactly a year ago.
It's almost as if Labor were attempting to appeal to the many Tasmanians who appeared to back the state finally joining the "national" competition but were averse to having to finance a superfluous third stadium.
Anyone who thinks this sounds like a lone voice in the Tasmanian wilderness has obviously not been reading The Examiner letters page. Every day since Labor's U-turn, our readers have not been shy about saying what they clearly thought they had at the ballot box 44 days earlier.
"It is incredibly disappointing," wrote Ed Sianski on Thursday. "In March, voters were led to believe that Labor's candidates would be anti-stadium. Instead, Tasmania's euphemistically-called opposition party is now eligible to be a participant in the Australian Olympic gymnastics team for its excellent backflip manoeuvres."
The following day, Richard Hill added: "After all the pre-election anti-stadium rhetoric from candidates, I wonder just how Labor voters feel now that they've been sold down the river and treated with utter contempt by the party's new leader."
On Saturday, Peter Crowe wrote: "Mr Winter gave the Liberals the biggest free-kick of all time." He added: "I thought you were the right man for the job Mr Winter. Having been Labor all my life, you will have to lift your game for Labor to get my vote at the next election."
Stuart Bryce said on Sunday he had yet to meet anyone who supports the Hobart stadium, adding: "Don't be surprised if the next state government is a coalition of independents. At least they seem to be listening."
And Monday brought Glennis Sleurink's conclusion: "It leaves one with little choice of who to vote for. It seems it will be the Greens and Independents from now on."
She added: "I wonder what Janie Finlay thinks after her very forceful denunciation of the stadium?"
Fortunately, the answer to this had been provided two days earlier when the Labor Bass MP was asked by The Examiner where she stood on the project six months after calling it "woefully ill-considered, underdeveloped, and poorly thought out".
Backing her boss's backflip, Ms Finlay replied: "We went to the election seeking support from Tasmanians to renegotiate the AFL and stadium deal. We didn't win so that is no longer an option."
Again, public opinion was not favourable.
"Sorry Janie have to disagree," wrote Nerise Routledge in the comments beneath our story. "(I) know many people voted Labor because of the stadium, next election will tell. How disappointing."
Margaret Dennis added: "Totally disgusted. Used to vote Liberal but went for Labor this time mainly due to their opposition to it. They won't be getting my vote again."
Another reader responded: "The fact the Liberals went into further minority and the Jacqui Lambie Network got a lot of votes (with their ONLY platform allegedly being opposition to the stadium) actually shows people actually did NOT want the stadium - Tas Labor are really not reading the room here."
Explaining the rationale behind the backflip, Finlay added: "This is not a decision we made lightly."
Unfortunately for Tasmanian Labor, which is now in its second decade in opposition having lost four successive state elections, it was also not a decision they made quickly.