Chris Whiting Blog

The Whiting Report Returns ... Every Friday 

THE PHONE stopped ringing at 7.30pm on the night I lost the election, as soon as it was clear I was not going to be the next Mayor.  And the harsh jangling of the ring tone has hardly been heard since. 

Now the phone rings a couple of times a day, when friends or family call.  Instead of fearing it and it problems it may bring, I welcome the chirpy ring tone.

How are you feeling, people asked in lowered tones.  Fine, I say, and it is true.  I have a feeling of strange contentment and detachment as I leave the tide of politics and current affairs to wash around me.

Let those who push that tide fret about the swirling minutiae of politics: I now give my focus to my family.

But as an ex-pollie, I don’t have to be silent.  I still have a lot to say.  I can still speak out when I see what needs to be said or done.  If fact, I can’t stop it.

It was the desire to speak up, to make a change that propelled me into running for local government 12 years ago.  And what kept me running was the desire to make a difference, not the desire to hold onto a well-paid job.    I never feared losing: my fear was that would be politically ineffectual, a political ornament.

I now hold no office, but I still have my voice, heard through this keyboard.

And I will keep speaking out, keeping up a dialogue.  I hope it will make a difference.  Maybe it will make you think, or nudge you to take some action.

You will be able to hear my thoughts on my weekly blog, sent every Friday.  That is my commitment to you.  I already have a swelling list of topics to discuss.

If you have any thoughts or any suggestions, I’d love to hear them.  And if you think I’m wrong, feel free to tell me, too.  You can email me at chris@chriswhiting.com.au or even call me.  As I said, I like to hear the jingle of the phone these days.

Next week, I look at the cultural monolith of the ANZAC legend.