With the ink still drying on an election which delivered a ‘Coalition of Chaos’ – to use the Premier’s own words – we’re already seeing some fanciful interpretations of the result.

Almost two-thirds of Tasmanians voted against the Government and its signature stadium project, with the backlash fiercest in the north. This delivered a Parliament precariously balanced between Liberal and Labor minorities and the biggest crossbench we’ve ever seen.

Yet the Premier claims he’s had a win and plans to go full steam ahead with his 2030 plan, including the stadium. You might say ‘good luck with that’, except there are signs the Labor Party is considering reversing the stadium opposition it took to the election.

Former Leader Bryan Green, the endorsed Labor candidate for Prosser, doesn’t want ‘politics’ to interfere with plans for Tasmania’s entry into the AFL.

Pity about the taxpayer who will be forced to foot the billion dollar bill.

We have observed previously that getting a Tasmanian team into the AFL should have been a unifying moment for the state. There is huge support – demonstrated by the response to the $10 memberships.

The problem is that the Government has mishandled the stadium issue from the start. The shockingly one-sided contract committed the AFL as the major beneficiary to contribute just $15 million, with Tasmanian taxpayers up for the rest – potentially $1 billion or more.

That enormous cost will add to the huge financial pressures we are already facing.

Saul Eslake has pointed out that with our economy going backwards, we are racking up cash deficits between the Government and its GBEs totalling almost $8 billion in the next four years, and there’s an urgent need for remedial budget action. John Lawrence has described the financial outlook as a nightmare.

If the Government’s plan is to succeed, Tasmanians may be forced to prioritise spending $1 billion on an unnecessary stadium to satisfy the demands of the AFL over cuts to front line services in health, education and other big-spending areas.

Meanwhile York Park – the home of football for the past 25 years and best placed to capture support from the whole of the state – will be downsized, with capacity reduced by more than 2,000, and most games played in Hobart. No wonder the Liberals suffered a 22% swing in Bass.

The reality is that while the overall vote appears to be against the stadium, it’s not a one sided result.

The Liberal plan was rejected by almost two-thirds. Labor’s approach was rejected by even more, but when you tally up the numbers across the board the antis outnumber the pros.

Both Liberal and Labor have pledged to respect the decision of the voters. It is important that they do so.

History is often a good pointer to the way forward on the big issues. There is a prime example from Labor history that is precisely relevant to the stadium.

It is how the huge controversy over Australia’s first casino licence at Wrest Point was handled by Labor Premier Eric Reece.

Reece was a casino supporter but recognising that it was a divisive issue and facing widespread opposition including from members of his Cabinet, he sent the decision to a referendum to allow every voter to have their say.

The vote came in 53/47, the decision was accepted, and the Australian casino industry was born.

Conservationists still refusing to accept the flooding of Lake Pedder might disagree, but for the rest of us there is no better leader to follow in Tasmanian history than Eric Reece.

If the two major parties are fair dinkum about respecting the (mixed) results of the election, they should recognise that the stadium, like Wrest Point in 1968, is another extremely controversial and divisive issue and follow the Reece example by putting it to a referendum.

Ivan Dean APM AM (Windemere) and Greg Hall AM (Rowallan – Western Tiers – McIntyre) are both former Members of the Legislative Council and former Mayors of Launceston and Meander Valley respectively.