Photos of Allianz Stadium being knocked down just changed the election

It is the issue that has outraged a state and been described as “economic madness”. But this photo could just turn that on its head.

For months, NSW Labor has staked its whole election campaign on one divisive issue — Sydney’s stadiums.

The Coalition government’s controversial $730 million project to knock down and rebuild Allianz Stadium at Moore Park in the eastern suburbs was an easy vote winner for Labor.

It’s whole campaign has been “Schools and hospitals, not Sydney stadiums”.

Most NSW residents probably didn’t know who Opposition Leader Michael Daley was a few months ago, now they can’t escape seeing him talking out the front of the 44,000-seat stadium.

‘I deny allegations that I have been camping out at this stadium during the whole campaign.’

And why wouldn’t he? It’s been working. A petition started by journalist and TV personality Peter FitzSimons saying the money being spent on stadiums is a waste has more than 220,000 signatures.

Last week FitzSimons said it was “economic madness” to “destroy a valuable public asset nine days before the election”.

Heading into the NSW election on Saturday, the polls show Gladys Berejiklian’s Coalition and Labor pretty much neck-and-neck.

It seems crazy when you consider Luke Foley (remember him? Yeah didn’t think so) quit as opposition leader five months before the election after claims he harassed an ABC journalist. (He denies the allegations.)

When news.com.au went out to marginal seat East Hills in southwest Sydney, the main gripe people had was the money being used for stadiums.

Labor’s campaign has worked for a few reasons.

1. It plays into the whole east versus west debate in Sydney: Why should a stadium only 31 years old in the eastern suburbs be rebuilt when it’s hardly ever filled? Plus, it’s a nightmare for people from western Sydney to get to Allianz Stadium. (Have you walked up that hill from Central Station?!)

2. What about public transport? It’s been easy for Labor to just say the money for the new stadium would be better spent on public transport, hospitals or schools.

3. Not everyone loves sport: Hell, even a lot of sports fans have questioned why the stadium needs to be knocked down.

But photos last week of the stadium being knocked down might just ruin Labor’s chances on Saturday.

The legal fight to stop the NSW Government from pulling down Allianz Stadium before the election has been lost.

There’s nothing stopping demolition crews rolling bulldozers through Allianz Stadium after a court challenge against the NSW Government’s plan to flatten the venue was defeated a second time.

The dramatic pictures show the stadium’s stairs being ripped apart by a bulldozer last Thursday.

Despite what Labor says, this image doesn’t help them. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

The stairs disappointed Sydney FC fans walked down for years. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

Mr Daley wrote to Ms Berejiklian last week demanding “hard demolition” be halted as the Coalition pushes ahead with its $730 million plan.

But now nothing stands in the way of the stadium being torn down.

“Only a government dripping with arrogance would move to knock down that stadium with a court case still to be heard and an election only 12 days to go,” Mr Daley told reporters last week.

SO WHY IS THIS PHOTO BAD FOR LABOR?

Labor’s campaign has meant saying this a lot:

Subtle.

But the horse has bolted.

Photo after photo of Allianz shows that Labor’s ideal plan for the stadium just won’t work.

It doesn’t look in great shape.

And some more. Picture: Jeremy Piper

And another.

“Labor is against the knockdown and rebuild of Allianz,” a spokesman for Mr Daley told news.com.au.

“If the Liberals press ahead and knock it down we will not leave a hole in the ground.

“The Sydney Cricket Ground Trust will have to take out a loan from the state and rebuild it but on a more modest scale.

“If it is still intact by March 23 then the SCG Trust will have to refurbish it at their own cost and can take out a loan to pay for it. The taxpayer will not have to pay a cent.”

But Labor will be lumped with this problem. And its campaign of not spending money on a new Allianz Stadium is pretty much dead in the water.

It has two options now — rebuild it but at a cheaper price, or refurbish it.

A refurb could cost $350 million according to the government. Rebuilding to a smaller capacity would still cost $360 million (which is the cost of the new 30,000-seat stadium at Parramatta).

So, basically Labor’s whole campaign of “we won’t build this stadium” is dead in the water.

When people go to vote on Saturday, the stadium debate won’t be the key election issue Labor hoped it would be.

The stadium is being knocked down. And will most likely have to be rebuilt.

It means voters will cast their vote because of other issues. And because Labor has staked so much on opposing the Allianz knockdown, it may come up short.