Hon Linda Burney MP was shortlisted for the 2022 McKinnon Political Leader of the Year for her demonstrated commitment to political and community leadership in such areas as education, Indigenous affairs, child protection and family violence and her central role in advancing the Uluru Statement of the Heart and facilitating a referendum to enshrine the Voice to Parliament in the Australian Constitution.

The Shortlisting Committee commended Burney’s ability to ‘reach across the aisle’ in the spirit of bipartisanship and her tireless commitment to community engagement traversing indigenous communities across several states, as part of her listening tour to establish what First Nation’s people are thinking and to promote the principles of the Voice. Burney, a member of the Wiradjuri Nation, was acknowledged by the Shortlisting Committee for her integrity when handling criticism from all sides of politics, while drawing diverse groups of people together in particular building trust in rural Indigenous communities in NSW.  Burney was recognised by the Committee as a leader fundamental to the Government’s advancement of recognition and rights for First Nations people across Australia.