Newcastle and the Hunter are being used by a political blow-in who knows nothing about the land, the people, the history of this place and it's making me *very* mad

Newcastle has a long and proud history of trade union, environmental and Aboriginal activism. Enviros and unionists have worked together here many times before. Why? Because we are committed to place and people

When One Nation came here in the late nineties, Newcastle turned out in our thousands in a colourful and loving festival of diversity, and picketed the venue, to send a message that this town lives on solidarity. I was a teenager and I will never forget it

Now here they are again, taking cheap shots at @theamwu and @NSW_ETU who fight and lead every day for the workers who will actually be the ones that will cop the consequences if we don't make a plan for the region's future

He's telling us we're dumb. He's trying to scare coal miners and tell them they've got nothing better to look forward to than pinning their hopes to the whims of multinationals. The Hunter Jobs Alliance knows that knows leaving our fate to outsiders will bite us in the arse

If you're a new resident of Newcastle blown up on winds of change from Sydney: welcome! Please get to know our natural, cultural and social history. Don't treat *place* like a backdrop for commerce and politics. Get your roots in to ours