David White ----- ---------------- ----
Qld Democrats Candidate for Blair

Email: David.White@qld.democrats.org.au
Phone: (m) 0407 125 550

DAVID'S CAMPAIGN LAUNCH | READ DAVID'S CAMPAIGN LAUNCH SPEECH

David White is a long term member of the Australian Democrats, running as a Democrats candidate for both the Victorian State Parliament in 1988 and in the Federal election in 1992.

David believes it is important to re-establish a balanced, strong, working democracy after seeing the extremist, crash-through tactics used by the Howard government after it gained control of both houses of federal parliament.

David is concerned about the way major party politics has corrupted and undermined the Australian democratic system by concentrating power centrally and putting their party ahead of the common good. Major parties have eroded the independence of elected representatives by enforcing rigid party discipline and have discouraged people's involvement in politics and the political process.

The most important issues to David are the quality of the environment, a sustainable economy and quality of life in the face of global warming and associated challenges. "We need to take a robust, commonsense approach to these challenges. We need to ensure Australia leads by example in meeting these challenges. We need to act in conjunction with the global community. Australia needs to be innovative and unified, using its wealth and knowledge to promote best practice," David says.

Before moving to Queensland, David worked for eighteen years in the Victorian Law Department and the Victorian Ministry of Education. He has worked in a range of positions including as a legal examiner of titles, office manager, regional records services officer, and in finance and school transport officer roles. David was a workplace representative of the Victorian Public Service Association at the time of the Kennett government in Victoria.

David has lived at Fernvale since 1993 when he and his wife and three children moved to Queensland where his wife's family lives.

David ran his own business in Ipswich as a lawnmowing contractor with a Queensland based franchise until he joined Disability Services Queensland ten years ago and has been working in Ipswich as a direct care worker since then.

He has been involved in local community transport issues involving provision of footpaths, footbridges and cycleways including the Fernvale to Lowood Rail Trail project. As a keen motorcyclist, David is a member of the Motorcycle Riders Association of Queensland and is particularly interested in motorcycle safety issues.

David has also been the secretary of the local branch of the Australian Democrats since 2002.