Dan Repacholi
Australian Labor Party · Hunter · Federal · Parliament Profile ↗ · Website ↗ · Findings & Analysis ↗
Member for Hunter
| Status | Promise / Commitment | Date | Rating | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Promise Made |
Eraring power station closure — extend and transition
Eraring (2,880MW, Australia's largest coal-fired power station) was scheduled for closure in 2025. Repacholi supported the NSW government's decision to extend its operation to 2027 to maintain energy security. Promised …
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01 Jan 2024 | Partially Delivered / Mixed | ABC News, SMH, Newcastle Herald ↗ |
| Promise Made |
Liddell power station transition support for workers
Advocated for transition support for workers affected by the closure of AGL's Liddell power station (closed April 2023). The 500MW station was the first major coal-fired closure in the Hunter. …
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01 Apr 2023 | Partially Delivered / Mixed | ABC News, Newcastle Herald ↗ |
| Promise Made |
Protect coal mining jobs during energy transition
Core 2022 election promise: protect Hunter Valley coal mining jobs and ensure a 'just transition' that does not leave coal communities behind. Repeatedly stated that coal will continue to be …
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01 Apr 2022 | Partially Delivered / Mixed | ABC News, Newcastle Herald, campaign materials ↗ |
| Promise Made |
Hunter region infrastructure investment
Promised to deliver federal infrastructure funding for the Hunter region including roads, rail, and community facilities. Specific commitments included support for the Hunter Expressway extension, Cessnock area road upgrades, and …
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01 Apr 2022 | Partially Delivered / Mixed | danrepacholi.com.au, Budget papers, Infrastructure Australia ↗ |
| Vote / Position | Date | Rating | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
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Voting record: generally consistent Labor party-line voter
Repacholi has voted with the Labor majority on virtually all divisions since entering Parliament. Unlike his predecessor Joel Fitzgibbon, who crossed the floor on climate policy, Repacholi has maintained party …
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01 Dec 2024 | Unverified | TheyVoteForYou.org.au ↗ |
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Voted YES on Voice to Parliament referendum legislation
Voted with Labor to support the Voice to Parliament referendum in 2023. Hunter is a conservative-leaning electorate that voted strongly NO in the October 2023 referendum (estimated 60%+ No in …
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19 Jun 2023 | Partially Delivered / Mixed | TheyVoteForYou.org.au, AEC referendum results ↗ |
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Voted YES on Safeguard Mechanism (emissions caps on large facilities)
Voted with the government on the Safeguard Mechanism legislation in 2023, which imposes declining emissions baselines on Australia's 215 largest industrial facilities — including multiple Hunter Valley coal mines. This …
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30 Mar 2023 | Partially Delivered / Mixed | TheyVoteForYou.org.au, APH Hansard ↗ |
| Type | Description | Amount | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other Interest | Shooting Australia membership and affiliations. Sporting Shooters' Association of Australia (SSAA) connections. | — | 2023-24 | APH Register of Members' Interests ↗ |
| Other Interest | CFMEU Mining & Energy Division membership (ongoing since ~2002). Significant given CFMEU donations to ALP and policy influence on coal mining regulation. | — | 2023-24 | APH Register of Members' Interests ↗ |
| Real Property | Residential property, Cessnock area (family home) | — | 2023-24 | APH Register of Members' Interests ↗ |
| Sponsored Travel | Various sponsored travel as MP including committee travel and electorate-related travel. Details per APH Register. | — | 2023-24 | APH Register of Members' Interests ↗ |
| Gifts / Hospitality | Gifts and hospitality received as declared on APH Register. Includes event invitations and industry hospitality. | — | 2023-24 | APH Register of Members' Interests ↗ |
| Shares / Investments | Savings/investment accounts (self) as declared on Register | — | 2023-24 | APH Register of Members' Interests ↗ |
| Other Interest | Spouse financial interests as declared on Register | — | 2023-24 | APH Register of Members' Interests ↗ |
| Other Interest | Mortgage / liabilities as declared on Register | — | 2023-24 | APH Register of Members' Interests ↗ |
| Other Interest | Australian Labor Party membership | — | 2023-24 | APH Register of Members' Interests ↗ |
| Other Interest | Shooting coaching business interests (self-employed prior to election). Relevant to firearms regulation policy positions. | — | 2021-22 | APH Register of Members' Interests ↗ |
| Person | Relationship | Period | Roles / Positions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pat Conroy | Faction / Ally | 2022 – present | Minister for Defence Industry, Member for Shortland | APH records, Newcastle Herald ↗ |
| Anthony Albanese | Other | 2022 – present | Prime Minister of Australia (31st) | APH Hansard, media reporting ↗ |
| David Pocock | Other | 2023 – present | Independent Senator for the ACT | The Nightly, APH records ↗ |
| Aaron Violi | Other | 2023 – present | Opposition Chief Whip, Shadow Minister for the Digital Economy, Shadow Minister for Science/Technology/Innovation, Shadow Minister for Cyber Security | The Nightly, APH records ↗ |
| Joel Fitzgibbon | Other | 2021 – present | Former Member for Hunter (retired 2022) | ABC News, Newcastle Herald, APH records ↗ |
| CFMEU Mining & Energy Division | Union Connection | 2002 – present | AEC Donor Returns, APH Register, media reporting ↗ |
| Severity | Type | Description | Connected To | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medium | Other |
Healthy Masculinities co-founder with conduct allegations
Repacholi co-founded the Parliamentary Friends of Healthy Masculinities — an initiative explicitly focused on respectful behaviour, domestic violence prevention, and positive masculinity. He then became the subject of conduct allegations regarding inappropriate behaviour towards a woman at a Canberra bar, …
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SMH, The Guardian, media reporting ↗ | |
| Medium | Policy Decision |
Dual messaging: pro-coal to electorate, pro-transition to party
Repacholi engages in dual messaging that creates accountability ambiguity: TO HUNTER ELECTORATE: 'Coal will be mined for decades,' opposes mine moratoriums, promises to 'fight for every job.' TO LABOR CAUCUS/PARLIAMENT: Votes for Safeguard Mechanism, supports net-zero by 2050, backs renewable …
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TheyVoteForYou.org.au, Hansard, media reporting ↗ | |
| Medium | Union Connection |
CFMEU Mining & Energy member voting on coal industry regulation
Repacholi is a long-standing CFMEU Mining & Energy Division member who votes on legislation directly affecting coal mining — including the Safeguard Mechanism (emissions caps on mines), mining approvals processes, and industrial relations laws affecting mining workers. The CFMEU Mining …
|
AEC Donor Returns, APH Register, Hansard ↗ | |
| Low | Policy Decision |
Voted YES on Voice while Hunter electorate voted strongly NO
Repacholi voted for the Voice to Parliament referendum legislation and publicly campaigned for Yes. His electorate of Hunter voted approximately 60%+ No in the October 2023 referendum — one of the stronger No results in NSW. This is a legitimate …
|
AEC Referendum Results, TheyVoteForYou.org.au ↗ | |
| Low | Other |
Olympic shooter with shooting business — firearms policy positions
Repacholi is an Olympic-level competitive shooter who previously ran a shooting coaching business. He is a member of and connected to shooting sports organisations. This creates a potential conflict when he comments on or votes on firearms regulation. As a …
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APH Register, Olympics.com.au, media reporting ↗ | |
| Alleged | Union Connection |
CFMEU administration (2024) — impact on Mining & Energy political influence
In August 2024, the Albanese government placed the CFMEU into administration following revelations of corruption, organised crime links, and governance failures — primarily in the Construction & General division. The Mining & Energy division, to which Repacholi belongs, is organisationally …
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ABC News, Fair Work Commission, media reporting ↗ |
- ABC News, Fair Work Commission, media reporting ↗
- ABC News, Newcastle Herald ↗
- ABC News, Newcastle Herald, Hansard ↗
- ABC News, Newcastle Herald, campaign materials ↗
- ABC News, SMH, Newcastle Herald ↗
- AEC Donor Returns, APH Register, Hansard ↗
- AEC Referendum Results, TheyVoteForYou.org.au ↗
- APH Hansard — First Speech ↗
- APH Register of Members' Interests ↗
- APH Register, Olympics.com.au, media reporting ↗
- DISER, Budget papers, Newcastle Herald ↗
- Media reporting ↗
- SMH, The Guardian, media reporting ↗
- Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian, media reporting ↗
- The Nightly, APH records ↗
- TheyVoteForYou.org.au ↗
- TheyVoteForYou.org.au, AEC referendum results ↗
- TheyVoteForYou.org.au, APH Hansard ↗
- TheyVoteForYou.org.au, Hansard, media reporting ↗
- danrepacholi.com.au, Budget papers, Infrastructure Australia ↗
Labor MP for Hunter since 2022 federal election. Born 14 August 1984 in Cessnock, NSW. Raised in the Hunter Valley. Attended Cessnock High School.
SHOOTING CAREER: Represented Australia at the 2004 Athens Olympics (50m pistol), finishing 22nd. Won gold medal at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games (50m pistol pairs, with Lalith Yakagage). Multiple Commonwealth Games appearances (2006 Melbourne, 2010 Delhi, 2014 Glasgow, 2018 Gold Coast). Multiple national championship titles. International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup competitor. Shooting career funded partly by coal mining work between competitions.
PRE-POLITICS CAREER: Worked as a coal miner at various Hunter Valley mines including Integra Underground (now Austar) and Ravensworth Operations. Member of the CFMEU Mining & Energy Division. Trained diesel fitter / mechanical tradesman. Combined mining work with elite shooting career for over 15 years. Also ran a small shooting coaching business.
2022 ELECTION: Won Hunter from the Nationals' Joel Fitzgibbon retirement successor (Barnaby Joyce's Nationals). Hunter had been held by Joel Fitzgibbon (Labor) 1996-2022, but Fitzgibbon crossed the floor on climate and was increasingly at odds with Labor. Nationals preselected James Thomson. Repacholi won with 54.8% two-party preferred. Significant because Hunter had been trending away from Labor on coal/climate issues.
2025 ELECTION: Retained Hunter. Result confirmed re-election.
ELECTORATE PROFILE: Hunter covers the Upper Hunter, Cessnock, Singleton, Maitland (part), Muswellbrook, and surrounding areas. Population ~170,000. Largest thermal coal export region in the world (Hunter Valley coal chain). Major employers: coal mining, horse breeding (Hunter Valley thoroughbred industry), viticulture (Hunter Valley wine region), power generation (Liddell closed 2023, Eraring set for 2027 closure — both contentious). High rates of mine worker PTSD, silicosis, and industrial disease.
VOTING RECORD: Generally votes with Labor majority. Voted Yes on Voice to Parliament referendum legislation in a conservative-leaning electorate. Supported Safeguard Mechanism legislation (emissions caps on large industrial facilities including coal mines). Has spoken in Parliament about protecting coal mining jobs during energy transition.
CONDUCT CONTROVERSIES: In 2023, allegations surfaced about inappropriate behaviour at a Canberra bar (The Dock). Reports of lewd comments and behaviour towards a woman at a parliamentary social event. Investigated under Parliament House behavioural standards framework. Repacholi denied allegations. The matter was handled through internal processes. Additionally, reported for making inappropriate comments during a parliamentary tour group visit.
Electorate office: 1/3 Edward Street, Cessnock NSW 2325. Backbencher with no shadow or ministerial portfolio. Member of the Standing Committee on Agriculture (from 2022).