Google was for government regulation of broadband before it was against it.

That’s the only conclusion to reach after reading the Internet firm’s joint FCC filing with the Media Access Project and Dish Network earlier this month, and its joint Wall Street Journal op-ed with Verizon yesterday.

The op-ed, co-authored by CEOs Eric Schmidt of Google and Ivan Seidenberg of Verizon, espouses “minimal government involvement” as the best path to broadband growth in America.

The Internet has thrived in an environment of minimal regulation. While our two companies don’t agree on every issue, we do agree generally as a matter of policy that the framework of minimal government involvement should continue.

The FCC underscores the importance of creating the right climate for private investment and market-driven innovation to advance broadband. That’s the right approach and why we are encouraged to see the FCC’s plan.

But Google was all for broadband regulation March 19 when telecommunications and media counsel Rick Whitt met with FCC officials. The ex parte filing that recaps the meeting includes a chart titled “Potential Basis for Government Oversight of Broadband Networks,” along with this telling summary of the discussion:

We noted that, especially in light of recent uncertainty surrounding the extent of the FCC’s broadband jurisdiction under the Communications Act, the FCC should take the steps necessary to build a complete legal and evidentiary record to confirm the agency’s oversight authority, whether under Title I, Title II, Title VI, or other pertinent provisions.

The three words “minimal government involvement” in the Journal op-ed, coming as they did from Schmidt and in alliance with Seidenberg, spooked Free Press, one of Google’s allies in pushing for network neutrality rules.

But when Google is saying one thing publicly and another behind closed doors at the FCC, it’s impossible to know where the company truly stands on the issue of broadband regulation.