The Hunter: The Safest Seat in the Country That Desperately Needs Change

Labor has held the Division of Hunter since 1910, making it one of the safest seats in the country. This sprawling rural electorate, steeped in mining and agricultural history, has been a fortress for the Australian Labor Party (ALP) for over a century. With such an enduring record of dominance, one might assume the seat’s constituents are satisfied with the representation they’ve received. But beneath this veneer of safety lies a deep sense of frustration—a community crying out for genuine change.

The Hunter electorate has evolved over the decades. Once a purely industrial hub defined by its coal mines and dairy farms, it has grown into a diverse community grappling with modern challenges: the transition away from fossil fuels, housing affordability, and the struggle to attract investment for new industries. Despite this evolution, the political narrative here has remained frozen in time, with Labor’s focus squarely on mining and unions while broader community concerns often take a backseat.