Whitehaven delay is political, says Coalition WHITEHAVEN Coal has fallen victim to the Gillard government's eight-month election campaign, with some claiming a move to delay a decision on its prized Maules Creek asset was based on politics and not environmental concerns. The NSW miner, which only last week announced a significant earnings downgrade, expressed its "extreme disappointment" yesterday after environment minister Tony Burke delayed his decision on the Maules Creek project by three months to April 30.