General News
31 August, 2022
South West Coast candidate emerges
GRASSMERE beef farmer and veterinarian Dr Michael McCluskey has thrown his hat in the ring to contest the South West Coast electorate as an independent candidate.
GRASSMERE beef farmer and veterinarian Dr Michael McCluskey has thrown his hat in the ring to contest the South West Coast electorate as an independent candidate.
Born and raised in Warrnambool, Michael has strong links to the Terang region having holidayed annually on his uncle’s Kolora dairy from childhood before working there prior to completing his veterinary degree, graduating with honours.
Dr McCluskey would keep close to Terang, working in town as a veterinarian during the 1990s.
He is also a past multiple premiership player of the Kolora football club, and said he still feels the one kick grand final loss to Ecklin.
Dr McCluskey said his decision to stand was borne from frustrations with the status quo.
“I’ve always had a strong frustration with what goes on in bureaucracy and politics, particularly inefficiency and waste,” he said.
“After I left the dairy farm here I worked for a couple of years in the federal public service as an employment officer finding jobs for people, and I was gobsmacked with how inefficient bureaucracy can be compared to private enterprise.”
Having previously run as an independent, including a 0.94 per cent first preference result at the 2018 state election, Dr McCluskey said he gave no mind attempting to run for an established party thistime around.
“I’m a strong believer in independent thought, I’m not a lover of party constraints and being told what you can and can’t say depending on what the party agrees with,” he said.
“Whether it’s politics, community or a sporting group, you need people who can speak their mind.
“I’m free to say what I think for the head and heart, not directives or obligation to the party, so one thing I can guarantee is I’ll say what I think it best for the community.”
He said bringing a background in agriculture and science was a strength he would bring focus to in his campaign.
“One of the downfalls in politics at the moment is we have very few people from a strong science background, and part of the reason for that is people who work in the sciences love what they do so much they don’t want to go in to politics,” Dr McClusky said.
“But if you look at a large number of issues in the community, whether it’s climate science or agricultural sustainability, water security or energy harvesting, we would benefit if we had more people from a science background.
“Plus, I have a strong agricultural background too – and it’s obviously the backbone of the entire south west region.”
Dr McCluskey said he was also keen to see more people nominate as independent candidates especially in the Portland or Terang region given all current candidates are Warrnambool-based.
“Being a candidate gives you an opportunity to put a voice to the issues you believe are important regardless of how many votes you receive,” he said.
“Many of the important changes in society start at the grassroots level rather than in Parliament itself despite what some leaders may want us to believe.”
At a community level Dr McCluskey is president of the Warrnambool Riding for the Disabled Association, committee member of locally-based charity Water for East Timor, vice-president of the Hopkins Falls Landcare Group, member of the Warrnambool sale yards advisory committee and has also served for nearly five years as director of finance at a Warrnambool sporting organisation.