IT has been a common grumble for years: that the Hunter misses out because its electoral habits have been rusted onto Labor.
Federally, it has been more than a decade since that party has held power, a streak broken in last month's federal election results.
Politics is one thing, but the results of that wrangling are far more important to most voters. With the ballot boxes stowed away, the time has come to shift perspective to what the government's agenda can deliver.
This region can be heartened by the recognition offered with Shortland MP Pat Conroy's elevation to Minister for Defence Industries and Minister for International Development and the Pacific.
Both portfolios shape as important in a year marked by warnings to prepare for war issued on Anzac Day by the now Opposition Leader.
They are far from unfamiliar to this region. Williamtown's RAAF capability coupled with Newcastle's place on a submarine base shortlist make defence a crucial part of our economy, and the daily lives of many.
A shorthand understanding of what that means on the ground in this region will hopefully prove valuable.
More than that, a voice in the upper echelons of the new government is something the government desperately needs. It will be incumbent upon Mr Conroy to use his position to advocate for the region more widely at the sharp crossroads it now faces on multiple fronts.
This newspaper has over recent months documented the need for an energy transition blueprint through its Power and the Passion series.
Few disagree that a plan to help those whose livelihoods depend upon coal prepare for the shift away from fossil fuels is a crucial piece of preventing many of the gravest fears of coal's end eventuating.
When it arrives, the energy shift will be transformative in many ways - including potentially catastrophic economically if lifeboats are not at the ready for thousands of people in that supply chain.
Of course, Mr Conroy is not alone - only the most senior among this region's representatives. Newcastle and Hunter federal MPs from the Hunter now sit on the government benches, and their constituents will be eager to see them make the shift count for those they represent.
That will be measured not by words, but by results. The bar is higher for government MPs than those in opposition, and higher still for ministers.
Congratulations to Mr Conroy, and may the region's Labor loyalties be repaid.
