Angry Tasmanians who voted for the Labor Party in the recent state election say they feel betrayed by the party’s shock backflip on the proposed multi-purpose stadium at Hobart’s Macquarie Point.
Taking to social media after Dean Winter announced the party would not oppose the development, supporters of the ‘No Stadium’ movement quickly flooded the new leader’s comments.
“NOT what we voted for Dean. Very disappointing,” one person said, with another adding: “I voted for you based upon you stating you would NOT support the stadium. Poor form, Dean. Poor form.”
Others questioned why Labor waited until after the weekend’s Upper House election to make the announcement, a sentiment echoed by the Greens.
“Not only have Labor decided to back a project that is fundamentally flawed and that will cost Tasmanians more than a billion dollars, they made their new position known in the most cynical way possible,” Greens MP Vica Bayley said.
“Rather than being honest with the communities voting in Saturday’s Legislative Council elections, they waited until afterwards to show their true colours.”
Bayley, representing the largest political party against the development, emphasised that the stadium is still far from a done deal, as it must pass through the Project of State Significance process.
“The Greens will be fighting hard on behalf of the community to make sure this billion-dollar white elephant is never built,” he said.
Our Place Hobart, a group who say they are “focused on doing all it can to ensure the stadium is not built”, argued that Winter has lost control of the Labor party to a former Premier and the brains behind the ‘Stadium 2.0’ proposal.
“Dean Winter is now serving Paul Lennon who has said he wants $700 million of Tasmanian taxpayers’ money as well as all of Macquarie Point and Regatta Point for him and his colleagues to develop for private profit as they see fit,” spokesperson Roland Browne said.
“Tasmanians made it clear in the last election they don’t want this stadium and the Labor Party vote will only go further backwards in the next election and pave the way for the cross bench to become the major force in the Tasmanian parliament.”
