Let’s not kid ourselves — Dan Repacholi is not the champion of coal miners he pretends to be. He can strut around in high-vis, snap selfies with shovels, and rehearse his tough-guy talk all he wants, but actions speak louder than photo ops. And nothing screams “sellout” louder than his how-to-vote card — where he shoved Stuart Bonds, the only true pro-coal candidate in the race, right down at the very bottom.
That’s right. Dan Repacholi — the guy who claims he’s standing up for coal — prefers literally everyone else over the one man actually trying to save the industry. He rated Bonds below Sue Gilroy, below Victoria Davies, and even below the Legalise Cannabis candidate. You couldn’t write satire this good. If you’re a coal miner wondering where you stand with Labor, Repacholi just gave you your answer: somewhere beneath a bong shop and a Greens-lite indie.
This isn’t just hypocrisy — it’s betrayal.
Here’s a guy who loves to lecture outsiders like Peter Dutton, calling him a “grub” for daring to tell the truth — that the Hunter is being left to rot. But while Repacholi is hurling insults from his taxpayer-funded soapbox, the mines are shutting down. Mt Arthur’s calling it quits in 2030. Thousands of jobs gone. And what’s Labor’s grand plan? Windmills? Solar panels? Training programs for industries that don’t exist yet?
And yet, Repacholi prefers the fantasy to the facts — and he’s weaponizing the ballot to bury the only voice actually speaking up for your future. Remember Joel Fitzgibbon? He was a Labor man too — but he had a spine. He called out the idiocy in his own party when it came to climate extremism and coal closures. Repacholi? He just rolls over and does what the inner-city elites tell him to.
Let’s be real: Labor’s energy policy is a controlled demolition of the Hunter. It’s death by a thousand Net Zero cuts. And Repacholi’s pretending to be on your side while passing you the knife.
This election isn’t about parties — it’s about survival. Stuart Bonds is the only one who’s not ashamed to say coal is worth saving. The only one not gaslighting you. If you want to keep your job, your town, and your dignity — vote like your future depends on it.
Because under Labor, it absolutely does.