EVER since Barnaby Joyce's election to the seat of New England in 2013, he has had a somewhat frosty relationship with the Member for Hunter, but that could be about to change.
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Mr Joyce and the now-former member Joel Fitzgibbon were often seen trading barbs on national television, and could at best be seen to have a 'frenemies' dynamic.
However, new Member for Hunter Daniel Repacholi seems keen to work amicably with his northern neighbour - at least for now.
"I've caught up with Barnaby quite a few times over the campaign, so I have seen him quite a bit and I'll quite happily catch up with him anytime," he said.
"He is our neighbour, so I'm more than happy to catch up with him whenever required."
But Mr Repacholi said he's not likely to spend too much time in Mr Joyce's patch, and will stay south of Aberdeen.
Having only been in the position for a few weeks, he said he's still settling into the position and looking to continue the legacy of Mr Fitzgibbon and his father.
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"Joel and his father Eric before him have held the seat for quite a long time and they've done a great job, and now I get to carry on with it," he said.
"I'll stay in my patch mainly just to make sure we're getting looked after and that we prioritise and deliver on the items that we committed to the election."
His predecessor was among the most vocal and high profile Labor MPs for a long time, even threatening to run for the leadership against now-Prime Minister Anthony Albanese following the party's 2019 election loss.
While Mr Repacholi didn't commit to taking quite the same attitude, he did say he'd get vocal on anything affecting his region - even if that did mean having a showdown with Mr Joyce.
"If it affects the 128,000 people in the Hunter then I will definitely be speaking up about it, making sure my voice is heard in the caucus and that we manage to hopefully not get left behind."
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