Linda Burney

Linda Burney is an Australian politician and a Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives, representing Barton since the 2016 federal election. She was the first Aboriginal person to serve in the New South Wales Parliament in 2003, and the first Aboriginal woman to be elected to the Australian House of Representatives.

Ms Burney was an ALP member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, representing Canterbury from 2003 to 2016. She was also the New South Wales deputy leader of the opposition, Shadow Minister for Education, and Shadow Minister for Aboriginal Affairs. In the Keneally ministry, she was the Minister for the State Plan and Minister for Community Services. During 2008 and 2009, Ms Burney was National President of the Labor Party. She was the Shadow Minister for Families and Social Services and for Preventing Family Violence under the Albanese ministry. Following the Labor Party's victory at the 2022 federal election, Ms Burney became the Minister for Indigenous Australians under the Albanese government, becoming the second Aboriginal person to assume the role.

Ms Burney began her career teaching at Lethbridge Park public school in western Sydney in 1979. She was involved in the New South Wales Aboriginal Education Consultative Group from the mid-1980s, participating in the development and implementation of the first Aboriginal education policy in Australia.