Linda White (politician)
{{Short description|Australian politician (1959/1960 – 2024)}}
{{See also|Linda White (Alpha Kappa Alpha)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = Senator
| image = Joint Standing Committee on the Parliamentary Library 2023 (White cropped).png
| caption =
| name = Linda White
| honorific-suffix =
| office1 = Senator for Victoria
| term_start1 = 1 July 2022
| term_end1 = 29 February 2024
| predecessor1 = Kim Carr
| successor1 = Lisa Darmanin
| birth_place =
| death_date = 29 February 2024 (aged 64)
| party = Labor
| alma_mater = University of Melbourne
| website =
| occupation = Solicitor
}}
Linda White (1959/1960 – 29 February 2024) was an Australian politician. She was a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and was elected to the Senate as the party's lead candidate in Victoria at the 2022 federal election, to a term beginning on 1 July 2022. She was a lawyer and trade unionist before entering politics, including serving as the assistant national secretary of the Australian Services Union (ASU) from 1995 till 2020.{{Cite web |last=ASU |title=Statement on the Appointment of Emeline Gaske as new Assistant National Secretary of the ASU |url=http://www.asu.asn.au/news/categories/general/200921-statement-on-the-appointment-of-emeline-gaske-as-new-assistant-national-secretary-of-the-asu |access-date=21 November 2023 |website=www.asu.asn.au |archive-date=21 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231121042800/http://www.asu.asn.au/news/categories/general/200921-statement-on-the-appointment-of-emeline-gaske-as-new-assistant-national-secretary-of-the-asu |url-status=live }}
Early life
White studied law and commerce at the University of Melbourne.{{cite news|url=https://www.chifley.org.au/who-we-are/|title=Who we are|publisher=Chifley Research Centre|accessdate=30 April 2022|archive-date=20 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220520071423/https://www.chifley.org.au/who-we-are/|url-status=live}}
Career
White worked as a solicitor for ten years before joining the Australian Services Union (ASU).{{cite news|url=https://www.alp.org.au/our-people/our-people/linda-white/|publisher=Australian Labor Party|title=Linda White|accessdate=30 April 2022|archive-date=30 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220430045123/https://www.alp.org.au/our-people/our-people/linda-white/|url-status=live}} She served as assistant national secretary with responsibility for "the union's national strategy in the private sector including the airline industry, IT and call centre industries and the non-government social and community services (SACS) sector".{{cite news|url=https://www.acmi.net.au/about/who-we-are/linda-white-board-member/|title=Linda White|publisher=ACMI|accessdate=30 April 2022|archive-date=18 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220318003919/https://www.acmi.net.au/about/who-we-are/linda-white-board-member/|url-status=live}}
In 1993, White became a director of the Victorian Legal Industry Superannuation Scheme, which later merged into LegalSuper. She has also served as a director of the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria and the Australian Centre for the Moving Image and Statewide Super from 2019 to 2022.{{Cite web |date=29 February 2024 |title=Former Senator Linda White |url=https://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Parliamentarian?MPID=IWK |access-date=1 March 2024 |website=Parliament of Australia |archive-date=20 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240120051023/https://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Parliamentarian?MPID=IWK |url-status=live }}
Politics
White was elected to the Australian Labor Party National Executive in 2006. She was appointed to the board of the Chifley Research Centre, the party's think tank, in 2013 and became chair in 2015. She was a prominent organisational power broker from Labor Left, representing the Victorian Socialist Left Faction.{{Cite web |date=16 August 2023 |title=Factional friction: who to watch at Labor's national conference |url=https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/factional-friction-who-to-watch-at-labor-s-national-conference-20230816-p5dwys |access-date=21 November 2023 |website=Australian Financial Review |language=en |archive-date=29 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230829070209/https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/factional-friction-who-to-watch-at-labor-s-national-conference-20230816-p5dwys |url-status=live }}
In March 2022, White won ALP preselection as the party's lead Senate candidate in Victoria at the 2022 federal election{{cite news|url=https://7news.com.au/politics/scramble-to-finalise-election-candidates-c-6228318|title=Labor finalise crucial election candidates|publisher=7News|date=28 March 2022|accessdate=30 April 2022|archive-date=28 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220328070309/https://7news.com.au/politics/scramble-to-finalise-election-candidates-c-6228318|url-status=live}} and was elected to a term commencing on 1 July 2022.{{Cite Au Parliament |mpid=IWK |name=Senator Linda White |access-date=2 February 2023}} She replaced one of her political rivals, Senator Kim Carr, on the ticket after his retirement. She received the support of the United Workers Union, the Australian Services Union, and grassroots members of the Socialist Left in her preselection contest against Josh Bornstein and Ryan Batchelor.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/mar/14/unionist-linda-white-leads-race-to-replace-victorian-labor-senator-kim-carr|title=Unionist Linda White leads race to replace Victorian Labor senator Kim Carr|website=The Guardian|accessdate=30 April 2022|first=Paul|last=Karp|date=14 March 2022|archive-date=30 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220430045123/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/mar/14/unionist-linda-white-leads-race-to-replace-victorian-labor-senator-kim-carr|url-status=live}}
Death
In February 2024, White took leave from parliamentary work to deal with major health issues.{{Cite news |last=Bovill |first=Monte |date=29 February 2024 |title='Our hearts are broken': Victorian Labor senator Linda White dies |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-01/senator-linda-white-dies/103532260 |access-date=1 March 2024 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU |archive-date=1 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240301014524/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-01/senator-linda-white-dies/103532260 |url-status=live }} She died in office on 29 February 2024.{{cite web |title=Victorian Labor senator Linda White dies |date=29 February 2024 |url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8540700/victorian-labor-senator-linda-white-dies/ |publisher=Canberra Times}} Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced her death and paid tribute to Senator White.{{Citation |last= |first= |title=Victorian Labor Senator Linda White dies |date=29 February 2024 |url=https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/politics/victorian-labor-senator-linda-white-dies/video/391d11860ead8c09bd5955eb8fc3a9d7 |access-date=1 March 2024 |publisher=Sky News Australia |language=en}} He had visited her in hospital.{{Cite web |last=Ireland |first=Olivia |date=1 March 2024 |title=Labor senator Linda White dies after health battle |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/labor-senator-linda-white-dies-after-health-battle-20240301-p5f92k.html |access-date=1 March 2024 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en |archive-date=1 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240301020328/https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/labor-senator-linda-white-dies-after-health-battle-20240301-p5f92k.html |url-status=live }}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{S-start}}
{{s-par|au}}
{{s-bef|before=Kim Carr}}
{{s-ttl|title=Senator for Victoria|years=2022–2024}}
{{s-aft|after=Lisa Darmanin (designate)}}
{{S-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:White, Linda}}
Category:Year of birth uncertain
Category:Labor Left politicians
Category:Australian solicitors
Category:Australian barristers
Category:University of Melbourne alumni
Category:Melbourne Law School alumni
Category:Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Australia
Category:Australian women lawyers
Category:Australian women trade unionists
Category:Members of the Australian Senate