Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Newcastle Herald
Newcastle Herald
National
Karen Barlow

'Here to be a big voice for the Hunter:' Repacholi's day one in the House

Labor Member for Hunter Dan Repacholi. Picture Elesa Kurtz

The new federal Labor Member for Hunter Dan Repacholi has declared he is in the House to be a "big voice for the Hunter" and said his position on coal does not put him at odds with the rest of the ALP.

Mr Repacholi is among the 35 new House of Representatives members of the class of '22 taking part in parliamentary orientation or "pollie school" this week ahead of parliament returning in late July.

The gold medal winning Olympic shooter and coal miner was elected to replace veteran Hunter MP Joel Fitzgibbon at the May 21 election. He is one of 17 new members of the Labor caucus.

With a wry smile, Mr Repacholi told reporters that one of the big differences is that people at Parliament House are calling him "Mr" now.

"Mr Repacholi is different. Yeah, that's my dad and my grandfather. So that's been quite different," he said.

Class of 2022: Australias newest MPs will be introduced to their new lives in the House of Representatives. Picture: Elesa Kurtz

But asked if his solid support for the mining industry is at odds with the Labor party, which is attempting in government to put an end to the climate wars, he replied "most certainly not" and said there was certainly room for him in the Labor caucus.

"I'm here to be a big voice for the Hunter and to make sure that we don't get left behind," he told reporters.

"And it's great that we've got a coal miner here that can actually talk about what is happening in the industry and knows about the industry."

He also revealed he talks to Mr Fitzgibbon on a regular basis.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.