Bass Coast Post - Michael Whelan

More power to you, Oliver

25/6/2025

By Michael Whelan

I READ Oliver Jobe’s article My local MP blocked me and the sage advice by people from my baby boomer generation suggesting ways he could become better informed. My reaction was “Well done to Oliver for having your say and more particularly for sharing it in a publication that doesn’t generally represent the views of young people.”

I don’t need to agree with Oliver to thank him and I have sufficient memory to know how I would have reacted at his age to old people telling me how to think. Especially if I looked at the environment, climate, biased taxation system and the parlous housing prospects that the younger generations are being bequeathed by my generation.

Enough with the climate gloom

21/2/2020

Bob Davies at Bimbadeen, the scene of his ground-breaking trials of carbon farming. There is plenty happening locally to give us heart, writes Michael Whelan

By Michael Whelan

WORKSHOP sessions at the Climate Emergency Summit in Melbourne last weekend filled up quickly so I didn’t get to all of the sessions I would have liked. Inevitably such large gatherings become more of a spectator event than a working strategic session.

In this climate change journey we find ourselves frustrated at the lack of government action, incredibly concerned for our children and grandchildren and jaded with the overload of tragedies that are occurring globally. Many of the speakers at the Summit reflected this frustration, speaking at length of the dark future if we don’t take strong action.

But not enough was said about what a strong approach looks like and the benefits it would bring humanity and the creatures we share the planet with.

Missed opportunity

16/12/2016

By Michael Whelan

First things first; Council is re writing the Council Plan and a community engagement program was approved by council at the December meeting. This is your only real chance to influence council's planned approach so I urge you all to get involved and provide input.

Clear as mud

18/6/2016

Michael Whelan has been a vocal critic of Environment Minister Greg Hunt’s management of climate change issues; now he’s trying to work out whether he's misjudged him.

Negative gearing reform? Yes please!

18/2/2016

Michael Whelan applauds the ALP for having the courage to tackle policies that benefit a powerful well-off minority.

Knowledge on tap

6/2/2016

By Michael Whelan

BASS Coast Council’s draft natural environment sustainability strategy document has been around for a number of months marked “confidential”. Why, you might ask, would such a draft be confidential? Could you possibly argue “commercial in confidence” or such other sensitive reason?

Let’s get positive

31/10/2015

Michael Whelan reckons we should leave behind the cheap shots and focus on what matters.

Malcolm in the middle

24/10/2015

Backing the coal industry could prove Malcolm Turnbull’s weak point, writes Michael Whelan.

Franklin dam protesters at the Liberal Party Federal election campaign opening, Malvern Town Hall, Malvern, Victoria, February 1983. Image courtesy of the National Library of Australia

Political guile or just plain bile?

22/8/2015

Instead of constant carping at the council, Alan Brown could use his considerable experience and contacts to mentor the mayor in her first term of office.

I’m not racist but ...

1/8/2015

Cartoon by Natasha Williams-Novak

By Michael Whelan

“WE LIKE Lionel Rose but we don’t like Adam Goodes.” I heard this comment yesterday on Radio National. Why would that be? Well, Lionel was a quiet man with a mighty punch and he was in our sporting thoughts before Nicky Winmar bared his chest to the crowd, before Michael Long gave voice to issues of his people and Cathy Freeman ran her victory lap at the Olympics with the indigenous flag. And before we started calling people out on racial taunts in sport.

Thou shalt know thy place!

6/6/2015

In the wake of the furore over Adam Goodes’ celebratory dance on the football field, MICHAEL WHELAN suggests that Goodes forgot his place, as women do from time to time.

How about some vision?

16/5/2015

The latest budget leads Michael Whelan to conclude we need a bipartisan approach to making some hard decisions.

A foot in the door

6/12/2014

If the mayor and councillors haven’t already made appointments with the new ALP ministers, they should get cracking, writes MICHAEL WHELAN, because the Bass electorate is now marginal.

Our sorry refugee saga

2/8/2014

Drawing courtesy of Human Rights Commission

It starts with our leaders labelling asylum seekers as “illegals” – less than people – and ends with us locking them up in appalling conditions. MICHAEL WHELAN asks how Australia became the cruel country.

Greg Hunt’s legacy

19/7/2014

He acted at the behest of the Prime Minister but it is Greg Hunt who will be remembered as the environment minister who destroyed Australia’s climate policy, writres Michael Whelan

Never mind a bigger slice, we need a bigger pie

12/7/2014

Instead of bickering amongst ourselves, we should be taking the argument up to the State Government in the election period, argues MICHAEL WHELAN.

Sorry my son but I really don’t care

7/6/2014

"One day when I was feeling low about our community, politics and politicians in particular I imagined my grandson had said: ‘Pa, what did you do about climate change?’.”

Finger-pointing won’t hold back the tide

16/4/2014

Instead of railing against the council’s coastal inundation forecasts, perhaps landowners should be demanding government action on climate change, MICHAEL WHELAN suggests.

Voice for Bass, anyone?

8/3/2014

The voters of Bass can accept their fate of living in a safe Liberal seat, or perhaps we could arise and scare the hell out of both parties, writes MICHAEL WHELAN.