David White
From Lobbyocracy.org.au
David White is a former Cain-Kirner government minister and lobbyist for lobbying firm Hawker Britton whose clients include Tattersall's.[1]
He is currently subject to an inquiry into the state's gambling and lottery industry.[1]
During the enquiry White admitted that he would have recieved a cash bonus of $350,000 if Tattersall's lotteries licence been renewed. This had previously been denied by Tattersall's chairman Harry Boon at the 2006 annual meeting. White resigned in 2006 amid contoversy so never claimed the bonus.[1]
David White is known to have a personal relationship with former premier Steve Bracks.[1]
Tattersall's chief executive Dick McIlwain told the Victorian Parliament's gaming inquiry he was unconcerned at suggestions White conducted a smear campaign against a rival bidder, Greek company Intralot, for the lotteries licence. However, he did not admit to it having happened.[1]
In September 2007 Steve Bracks declined an invitation to be questioned by the select committee saying that his conversations with David White in Lorne were protected from the upper house gaming inquiry by executive privilege.[1]
White is also rumoured to have boasted about using his senior ALP contacts to get a public tansport contract for Yarra Trams in 2004. White was the Yarra Trams chairman at the time.[1]
It has also been revealed that White and his Hawker Britton colleague Danny Pearson was hired by The Age in 2004 to lobby the Bracks Government over advertising contracts after the newspaper lost a valuable government advertising contract.[1]
White's association with Hawker Britton ended late in 2006 year after the arrival of a new management team headed by CEO Dick McIllwain.[1]
