A proud member of the Wiradjuri nation, Linda Burney was the first Aboriginal person to be elected to the New South Wales Parliament and the first Aboriginal woman to serve in the Australian House of Representatives. Her commitment to Indigenous issues spans more than 30 years.
Linda was elected federal member for Barton in 2016, following a 14 year career in the NSW Parliament as Member for Canterbury. During her state political career she served as minister in a number of senior portfolios including as minister for Community Services and later as Deputy Leader of the Opposition. In 2016 Linda resigned from the Deputy Leadership of the NSW Labor Party and from the NSW Parliament after she was preselected as a candidate for the federal seat of Barton. Among the motivating factors for pursuing a career in politics Linda lists her Aboriginal heritage, the lack of women in parliament and her pursuit of social justice. Throughout her political career Linda has held a range of policy areas and said she welcomes the opportunity to work across a range of portfolios including but not limited to Indigenous affairs.
A passionate advocated for education, Linda began her professional life as a teacher in 1979, working at a public school in western Sydney. She obtained a Diploma of Teaching and was the first Aboriginal graduate from the then Mitchell College of Advanced Education (now Charles Sturt University). Linda has been involved in the NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group since the mid-1980s and has participated in the development and implementation of the first Aboriginal education policy in Australia. She has a long held commitment to the prevention of domestic violence and family violence and has detailed publically her personal experience with it. Linda has also held senior positions in the non-government sector serving on a number of Boards including the SBS, the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board, and the NSW Board of Studies.
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