The last real interest we had in politics was when Centrebet became the first betting agency in Australia to offer odds on elections.

Before that the last major intrusion by politics into the real news department’s realm – apart from John Howard’s Wallabies tracksuit and obligatory cricket Test match appearances – was the 1980 and ’84 Olympic ­boycotts and Bob Hawke’s glass-shattering decision to take on a journo’s high-bouncing spinner.

But we have been perturbed by news this week that Maitland Blacks fan Robyn Parker has been dumped from new Premier Mike Baird’s cabinet and that Upper Hunter MP George Souris has been replaced as minister for the Hunter by Gladys Berejiklian  who isn’t actually from the Hunter.

For political pundits this may not be such a shock, but from the parochial types who inhabit the sports desk it’s akin to relocating the Newcastle Knights to Gosford.

Berejiklian  faces a Buddy Franklin-size challenge if she is going to win the hearts and minds of the Hunter sporting public and be embraced as Our Glad.

Firstly we have to establish her credentials and we have a few questions to start with.

Glad, which team do you support in the realNRL and if it isn’t the Pickers or Bulldogs, why not?

Will you be attending the realNRL grand final between the Pickers (they’ll be the ones in black) and Bulldogs?

Have you bought your membership ticket for the Knights and Jets yet?

Glad, your answers to these question are not deal killers, but we do expect a commitment to sport in the Hunter.

One political concept we came across while reading about the history of baseball  – and quite liked – was pork barelling.

US politicians, particularly those from below the Mason-Dixie line, have got it down to a fine art.

We don’t like negative terms like buying votes, instead let’s call it the Field of 

Dreams policy – “build it and they will come”.

Our first request doesn’t event require ­capital expenditure – a couple of get out of jail free cards for Knights players to use during the off-season.

Our second is quite easy as well and probably fits into your other portfolio of transport.

Can you change the M1’s name back to the F3 – the M1 Derby sounds more like a gun ­battle than a football match.

On the subject of road names, the Hunter Expressway is brilliant but it would be even better if named in honour of John Sattler.

While you are at it, the Burke and Pannowitz link roads to Maitland would be pretty good and why not the Johns Way to Cessnock.

No pork barrelling list would be complete without some major capital projects and fast-tracking the ­purpose-built stadium for the Pickers would be a nice start.

I’m sure if you can get plans through ­cabinet in the next year, everyone would be happy to call it Our Glad Park.

Our big ticket item involves scrapping plans for housing at Loxford and turning the precinct into Australia’s premier motor sport centre. 

An around-ground stand at the Kurri Kurri Speedway, with toilets, could kick things off.

This could be followed by the Chad Reed Motocross Stadium and Casey Stoner Raceway, with a track suitable for MotoGP, Formula 1 and V8s.

Glad, you have big shoes to fill. Robyn has been and no doubt will continue to be a great supporter of sport in Maitland.

Like all politicians she handed out plenty of cheques, but securing a new hospital to treat our injured players and supporters was a huge effort.

At the personal level, I think everyone in sport has welcomed her ongoing support of the Maitland Sportsperson of the Year Awards and looks forward to it continuing.

We invite all pork barelling suggestions for Our Glad, the more outlandish the better. You can send them to michael.hartshorn@fairfaxmedia.com.au or post them on Twitter with the tag #PleaseGlad