David Bacon
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This article is part of the Tobacco portal on Sourcewatch funded from 2006 - 2009 by the American Legacy Foundation. |
David Bacon (British American Tobacco Corporate Affairs Dept. Head): 1989 Australia
David J Bacon was a career lobbyist in Australia for the tobacco industry. He took over and ran the Tobacco Institute of Australia, before joining the British-American Tobacco group (initially with their subsidiary WD & HO Wills). He then shifted to London to run the Public Affairs operations at the top corporate level. His department at BAT was responsible for much of the scientific misinformation and corruption tactics in Europe and Asia, along with the work of Philip Morris.
In the UK, he effectively took over from Bob Ely in November 1990 as the head of the Public Affairs division of British American Tobacco. His staff consisted of the major strategist, Sharon Boyse, and Dr Raymond E Thornton who did most of the science and health misinformation work.
He later returned to Australia and was employed by the Sydney radio network in its 2UE studios.
Contents
Puff piece
[IT IS LEGITIMATE TO ASK IF THIS IS THE SAME DAVID BACON?
David Bacon "has a BA in Development Studies, as well as international and national work experience with public, private and not-for-profit organisations. He has worked in Thailand, Cambodia and Laos as well as with colleagues from across Australia.
"In 2003 David undertook a one-year posting in Thailand as the National HR Director for AIESEC (the world’s largest student organisation). David Speaks basic Thai and his responsibilities in Thailand included developing a national volunteer recruitment and training process, designing and delivering training and leadership conferences, for strategic planning and for business development.
"He subsequently held a position with the Millennium World Peace Foundation in Bangkok for 6 months in 2004, acting as their youth Coordinator and responsible for hiring and managing the predominantly young staff, supporting the development of their roles in project development and management.
"David has wide experience in training and facilitation and in 2006 received an Award from the International Youth Foundation for his role in founding a successful income generation, education and women’s empowerment project in Cambodia, known as Carpets for Communities. This project is partly funded by the Australian National Commission for UNESCO.
"More recently in 2006 and 2007, he has been acting as a consultant for World Youth International on the development and implementation of Volunteer Projects to Cambodia and Laos. He also managed the logistics for Leadership Conferences that the WYI held in 2006 and 2007." [1]
Documents & Dates
- There are 5,868 documents in the tobacco archives for "David Bacon" and many more for other versions of the name. However he appears to have only ever authored two documents -- which demonstrates how effective BAT's euphemistically titled,"Document Retention Policy" was at cleaning out the filing cabinets.
1985 Mar David Bacon is Executive Office at the Tobacco Institute of Australia (TIA) and is contacting Bill Kloepfer at the Tobacco Institute in the USA (TI). They are already on first-name terms. The TIA had produced an insert for the Australian Womany's Weekly magazine. [1]
1985 Nov He has been discussing something with George Yenowine at the US Tobacco Institute, and is receiving new material
1986 May 19 Australia is facing a ban on smoking on aircraft. He is working with John Dollisson and is making a series of inquiries to RJR for information about air-craft levels of tobacco smoke. They need a report done by RJR. Richard Marcotullio replies - they have messed up the aircraft smoke study and need to re-do it.[2]
- [Note: All other material from these early years appears to have been culled.]
1987 Jan 12 John Dollisson (Philip Morris Australia) is setting up a political tour for Glen Smith and his Childrens' Research Unit which did 'studies' to prove that cigarette advertising had zero effect on children, and therefore couldn't be held responsible for recruiting teenager smokers. He is to talk with politicians and staffers in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne with meetings with top politicians (Labor, Liberal and Democrats), The trip will be organised by David Bacon, Blair Hunt and Geoff Drucker. David Bacon is currently on leave.[3]
1987 Jun Bacon is still at the TIA but he is going to Tokyo for the 6th World Conference on Smoking & Health, to act as one of a large contingent of tobacco industry adminstrators to spy on anti-smoking activists.
1987 Sep Bacon is on this list as a BATCo UK member for WCoSH (one of 36 monitors at this anti-smoking conference). He is actually still a TIA staff member (He was seconded from BAT to the TIA). The industry has set up its own ETS Conference of administrtors in Japan just ahead of the WCoSH conference.
1988 Feb 1 Tobacco Institute of Australia (TIA) press release attacks the Labor Bannon Government (ALP) of South Australia. The TIA had run a Morgan Gallop poll which showed that "the Bannon Government has little public support for its proposal for further restrictions on tobacco advertising and sponsorship."
The three contacts were • Dr Blair Hunt • David Bacon (Sydney number) • Ron Berryman (Adelaide number)[4]
1988 Jul 21 Bacon has now joined the BAT subsidiary in Australia, WD&HO Wills (Australia), in its Public Affairs division. He reports to BATCO in London
1989 to 1990 Nov: Manager, Corporate Affairs, W.D & H.O Wills (Australia) Limited.
1989 -- Nov 1990: During this period, Bacon is Manager, Corporate Affairs, W.D & H.O Wills (Australia) Limited. He then returns to the UK.
1990-- Sep 1997 (approx): Bacon is now the Head of Public Affairs/Corporate Affairs Department, British American Tobacco Company, in the UK.
1990 Sep 30 Robert LO (Bob) Ely, the head of BAT Public Affairs, and the UK organiser for INFOTAB has retired. David Bacon from Wills Australia is about to take over his position at BATCO in November. [5]
1990 Sep 30 Bacon has replaced Ely at BAT in England Letter from "Clive Turner - first settled sojourn in England for Xmas" [6]
1990 Nov -- 1997 (approx): Head of Public Affairs/Corporate Affairs Department, British American Tobacco Company, UK.
1990 Nov to approx 1997: Head of Public Affairs/Corporate Affairs at British-American Tobacco based in London
1991 Feb 25: Bacon is on the ETS mailing list with Dr Ray E Thornton, Sharon Boyse and lawyer Nick Cannar along with members of the BATCo Board. This is the highest level in the company where they deal with Smoking & Health issues. [7]
1991 Sep 18 He is Head of Public Affairs, at BAT in the UK dealing with Tobacco Action Committee matters. [8]
1991 Sep 24: Bacon is on BAT's S&H list (Regulatory Affairs) receiving information on the American CRS report and trying to work out how to use it most effectively. [9]
1992 -97 [From the 2002 Aug 27 Deposition of Christopher Proctor]
The person who had the most significant role in INFOTAB and TDC was David Bacon, who was the head of Corporate Affairs in 1992 -97.
He left in 1997, I think, and Ms Susan Meldrum took over.
1992 Aug Bacon is still the top PR for BATCO in Millbank England, He is responsible for the wider area which includes Smoking Issues (Sharon Boyse), Internal communicaions, government and corporate relations, information services. publications, etc.
1993 Dec 20 WD&HO Wills (Australia) are being asked about a review of David Bacon's pension. Tim Flay is the contact. [10]
1995 Apr 6 He is on BAT's Key Issues Counsel (KIC) along with Christopher Proctor, Ernest Pepples, and Keith Gretton. [11]
1996 Mar 7 at BAT [Letter from Keith Spinks to Harriet Bryan regarding the Channel Islands and EU Law]
1997 He stll is listed for UK General enquiries at BAT Millbank in the UK
1998 /E He then left the industry and return to FARB (Federation or Australian Radio Broadcasters), and was now working with radio 2UE in Sydney.
Resources and articles
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References
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