Linda Burney
Encyclopedia
The Hon. Linda Jean Burney MP, an Australian politician, is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
representing Canterbury
for the Australian Labor Party
since 2003. Burney is Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Shadow Minister for Planning Infrastructure and Heritage, Shadow Minister for Sport and Recreation, Shadow Minister for the Hunter, and Shadow Minister for the Central Coast. In the Keneally ministry
, she was the Minister for the State Plan
and Minister for Community Services.
During 2008 and 2009, Burney was National President of the Australian Labor Party.
descent and grew up in Whitton
, a small town in South West NSW near Leeton
.
In her inaugural speech to Parliament she said:
Burney grew up in Whitton
where she attended the local primary school. She did her first four years of secondary school at Leeton High School
and final two at Penrith High School
. She was the first Aboriginal graduate from the then Mitchell College of Advanced Education
where she obtained a Diploma of Teaching.
She began her career teaching at Lethbridge Park
public school in western Sydney in 1979. She has been involved in the New South Wales 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 held senior positions in the non-government sector, serving on a number of boards including SBS
, the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board and the NSW Board of Studies. Ms Burney was also an executive member of the National Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation
, President of the NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group and is a former Director-General of the NSW Department of Aboriginal Affairs
, and in 2006 she was elected National Vice President of the Australian Labor Party
(ALP).
:
She was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Education and Training in 2005. Following the 2007 election Burney became Minister for Fair Trading, Minister for Youth, and Minister for Volunteering. In September 2008 she was promoted to Minister for Community Services and in December 2009 she was appointed Minister for the State Plan. She lost her portfolios following the change of government at the 2011 state election.
Burney was appointed to the Community Services portfolio in December 2008 just prior to the handing down of the report of the Special Commission of Inquiry into Child Protection Services by retired Supreme Court Justice James Wood
. She is the lead Minister in a whole of government reform plan, Keep Them Safe, that is implementing the recommendations of the inquiry.
Following the ALP's landslide defeat at the 2011 state election, Burney was elected as Deputy Leader of the Labor Party after former Deputy Premier Carmel Tebbutt chose not stand for the position. She also became the Shadow Minister for Planning, Infrastructure and Heritage, Shadow Minister for the Central Coast and the Hunter and Shadow Minister for Sport and Recreation.
Among her initiatives was the NSW Volunteer of the Year
Award. In 2006 she gave the 7th Vincent Lingiari
Memorial Lecture, and in 2008 gave the Henry Parkes Oration in Canberra.
Burney is an Ambassador of the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation.
.
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
representing Canterbury
Electoral district of Canterbury
Canterbury is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Linda Burney of the Australian Labor Party.-History:...
for the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
since 2003. Burney is Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Shadow Minister for Planning Infrastructure and Heritage, Shadow Minister for Sport and Recreation, Shadow Minister for the Hunter, and Shadow Minister for the Central Coast. In the Keneally ministry
Keneally ministry
The Keneally ministry is the 92nd ministry of the Government of New South Wales, and was led by the 42nd Premier Kristina Keneally....
, she was the Minister for the State Plan
New South Wales State Plan
The State Plan, A New Direction for NSW is a document prepared by the New South Wales Premier's Department within the Government of New South Wales and released on November 14, 2006...
and Minister for Community Services.
During 2008 and 2009, Burney was National President of the Australian Labor Party.
Early life and background
Burney is of WiradjuriWiradjuri
The Wiradjuri are an Indigenous Australian group of central New South Wales.In the 21st century, major Wiradjuri groups live in Condobolin, Peak Hill, Narrandera and Griffith...
descent and grew up in Whitton
Whitton, New South Wales
Whitton is a small town located in Leeton Shire in the Australian state of New South Wales. Founded in 1850, it is named after John Whitton , Engineer-in-Charge of the New South Wales Government Railways. The railway reached Whitton in 1881...
, a small town in South West NSW near Leeton
Leeton, New South Wales
Leeton is a town in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. Leeton is situated approximately 550 km west of Sydney and 450 km north of Melbourne in the productive Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area. Leeton is administered by Leeton Shire Council...
.
In her inaugural speech to Parliament she said:
Burney grew up in Whitton
Whitton, New South Wales
Whitton is a small town located in Leeton Shire in the Australian state of New South Wales. Founded in 1850, it is named after John Whitton , Engineer-in-Charge of the New South Wales Government Railways. The railway reached Whitton in 1881...
where she attended the local primary school. She did her first four years of secondary school at Leeton High School
Leeton High School
Leeton High School is a co-educational comprehensive public secondary school located in Leeton in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. The school was officially opened in 1926 as Leeton's first high school and is now one of three secondary schools serving the Leeton Shire.- Fires :In...
and final two at Penrith High School
Penrith High School
Penrith High School is a selective, public, co-educational high school located in Penrith, a western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
. She was the first Aboriginal graduate from the then Mitchell College of Advanced Education
Charles Sturt University
Charles Sturt University is an Australian multi-campus university located in New South Wales, Victoria, and the Australian Capital Territory. It has campuses at Bathurst, Canberra, Albury-Wodonga, Dubbo, Goulburn, Orange, Wagga Wagga and Burlington, Ontario...
where she obtained a Diploma of Teaching.
She began her career teaching at Lethbridge Park
Lethbridge Park, New South Wales
Lethbridge Park is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Lethbridge Park is located 47 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Blacktown and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region.-History:Lethbridge Park...
public school in western Sydney in 1979. She has been involved in the New South Wales 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 held senior positions in the non-government sector, serving on a number of boards including SBS
Special Broadcasting Service
The Special Broadcasting Service is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television network. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect...
, the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board and the NSW Board of Studies. Ms Burney was also an executive member of the National Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation
Reconciliation Australia
Reconciliation Australia is the non-government, not-for-profit foundation established in January 2001 to provide a continuing national focus for reconciliation. It was established by the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation...
, President of the NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group and is a former Director-General of the NSW Department of Aboriginal Affairs
New South Wales Department of Aboriginal Affairs
The New South Wales Department of Aboriginal Affairs is a department of the Government of New South Wales that is responsible for administering legislation in relation to NSW's policies that support indigenous Australians and advising the Minister for Citizenship, Communities and Aboriginal...
, and in 2006 she was elected National Vice President of the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
(ALP).
Political career
When Burney was elected as the Member for Canterbury in 2003, she became the first Aboriginal person to serve in the NSW Parliament. In her inaugural speech to the Legislative Assembly she said, referring to the Constitution Alteration (Aboriginals) Act, 1967Australian referendum, 1967 (Aboriginals)
The referendum of 27 May 1967 approved two amendments to the Australian constitution relating to Indigenous Australians. Technically it was a vote on the Constitution Alteration 1967, which became law on 10 August 1967 following the results of the referendum...
:
She was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Education and Training in 2005. Following the 2007 election Burney became Minister for Fair Trading, Minister for Youth, and Minister for Volunteering. In September 2008 she was promoted to Minister for Community Services and in December 2009 she was appointed Minister for the State Plan. She lost her portfolios following the change of government at the 2011 state election.
Burney was appointed to the Community Services portfolio in December 2008 just prior to the handing down of the report of the Special Commission of Inquiry into Child Protection Services by retired Supreme Court Justice James Wood
James Roland Wood
The Honourable James Roland Tomson Wood AO, QC is the chairman of Law Reform Commission of New South Wales, the chairman of the New South Wales Sentencing Council, the Inspector of the Police Integrity Commission and a former judge in Australia.-Early years:...
. She is the lead Minister in a whole of government reform plan, Keep Them Safe, that is implementing the recommendations of the inquiry.
Following the ALP's landslide defeat at the 2011 state election, Burney was elected as Deputy Leader of the Labor Party after former Deputy Premier Carmel Tebbutt chose not stand for the position. She also became the Shadow Minister for Planning, Infrastructure and Heritage, Shadow Minister for the Central Coast and the Hunter and Shadow Minister for Sport and Recreation.
Among her initiatives was the NSW Volunteer of the Year
NSW Volunteer of the Year
The is an annual award for volunteering in New South Wales, Australia run by The Centre for Volunteering and supported by the State Government. It was launched in June 2007 by the then NSW Minister for Volunteering Linda Burney....
Award. In 2006 she gave the 7th Vincent Lingiari
Vincent Lingiari
Vincent Lingiarri, AM , was an Aboriginal rights activist who was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia for his services to the Aboriginal people. Lingiarri was a member of the Gurindji people. In Vincent's earlier life he worked as a stockman at Wave Hill Cattle Station. He also played...
Memorial Lecture, and in 2008 gave the Henry Parkes Oration in Canberra.
Burney is an Ambassador of the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation.
Personal life
Burney has a son and a daughter. Her partner for a number of years until his death was Rick FarleyRick Farley
Richard Andrew Farley was a white Australian activist for the rights of Indigenous Australians.Born in Townsville, Queensland, Farley had a career which went from actor and hippie to journalist, Whitlam government staffer, head of the Cattlemen's Union and then to his most celebrated role, with...
.