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Anna Burke

Anna Elizabeth Burke AO (born 1 January 1966) is an Australian former politician who served as the 28th speaker of the Australian House of Representatives from 2012 to 2013. A member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), she was the member of parliament (MP) for the division of Chisholm from 1998 to 2016.

The Honourable
Anna Burke
AO
A photograph of Anna Burke
28th Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives
In office
9 October 2012 – 5 August 2013
DeputyBruce Scott
Preceded byPeter Slipper
Succeeded byBronwyn Bishop
Deputy Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives
In office
24 November 2011 – 9 October 2012
Preceded byPeter Slipper
Succeeded byBruce Scott
In office
12 February 2008 – 28 September 2010
Preceded byHarry Jenkins
Succeeded byPeter Slipper
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Chisholm
In office
3 October 1998 – 9 May 2016
Preceded byMichael Wooldridge
Succeeded byJulia Banks
Personal details
Born
Anna Elizabeth Burke

(1966-01-01) 1 January 1966 (age 58)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Political partyLabor Party
Spouse
Stephen Burgess
​
(m. 1994)​
ChildrenTwo
ResidenceBox Hill South[1]
EducationPresentation College, Windsor
Alma materUniversity of Melbourne
Monash University
OccupationUnion representative, Politician

Burke was a trade union representative before being selected by the Australian Labor Party to stand for the seat of Chisholm in 1998. She served as deputy speaker of the Australian House of Representatives twice from 2008 to 2010 and again from 2011 until the resignation of Speaker Peter Slipper due to allegations of fraud and sexual harassment in 2012. She was the second woman to become Speaker and held the office until the 2013 federal election, in which the Rudd government was defeated.

While in parliament, both as a member of the government and the opposition, Burke campaigned against offshore processing and mandatory detention of refugees, policies all of the major parties supported at the time. Burke retired from politics at the 2016 federal election. She is a current member of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) and an Officer of the Order of Australia. Since leaving politics, Burke has also served on the boards of several foundations and companies.

Early life and education

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Anna Elizabeth Burke was born on 1 January 1966 in Melbourne and was one of five children.[2] Her father was an electrician and her mother a was kindergarten teacher.[2]

Burke attended Presentation College, Windsor,[2][3] and was diagnosed with dyslexia in grade 5, which led to her taking her high-school exams orally.[4][5] In 1988, she graduated from Monash University[6] with a Bachelor of Arts degree with Honours in English Literature, and in 1994, she graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Master of Commerce with Honours in Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management.[3][2]

Career

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Before entering politics, Anna Burke worked as a trade union official and a human resources manager. In these capacities, she worked for VicRoads from 1988 to 1993 and for Victoria University (then the Victorian Institute of Technology) from 1993 to 1994.[2] In 1994, Burke joined the Finance Sector Union as National Industrial Officer, and was responsible for coordinating campaigns and being a spokesperson.[7]

Entry into politics

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In 1996, Burke joined the Ashwood branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and in 1997, the ALP selected her as an electoral candidate for the Division of Chisholm,[2] which was then held by Liberal Minister for Health and Family Services Michael Wooldridge, who had held it for more that 11 years. Burke was not expected to win the seat but after Wooldridge switched to the Division of Casey, she won the seat at the 1998 federal election against the Liberal Paty candidate Peter Vlahos with a 4.67% swing to Labor (2PP).[8]

Time in parliament

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In 2005, Anna Burke submitted a private member's bill to the house that proposed an early form of the subsequently created Do Not Call Register, which allows people with fixed telephone lines to opt out from telemarketing.[2] After Labor's win at the 2007 federal election, Burke was elected as Deputy Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives, who presides over the House in the Speaker's absence.[3] In February 2008, just a few sitting days into the Parliament, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was absent from the House while he was visiting flood victims in Mackay, Queensland.[9] To protest Rudd's absence, the Opposition took a cardboard cut-out of Rudd into the chamber.[10] Burke requested the "offensive article" be removed from the House, which caused some laughter from the opposition,[11] along with the Member for Cowper Luke Hartsuyker. Hartsuyker refused to leave the house, causing Burke to suspend the sitting of parliament.[9][10][11] While Deputy Speaker, Burke argued for the banning of websites that promote eating disorders but was not successful.[12][13] Burke continued to advocate for awareness of eating disorders throughout her time in parliament.[14]

In 2011, Speaker Harry Jenkins announced his resignation from the Speakership, saying he wanted to be more involved in Labor Party matters as a backbencher.[15] The government nominated Peter Slipper, the member for the Division of Fisher, to become Speaker.[15] In response, the Manager of Opposition Business Christopher Pyne nominated a number of government members to become Speaker, starting with Burke.[16] All nominated government members declined their nominations.[16] Slipper accepted his nomination and took the chair as Speaker.[15] On the same day, Burke accepted the Government's nomination for the position of Deputy Speaker and was elected to that position in a ballot.[3]

In April 2012, Slipper announced he was standing aside, meaning he would remain Speaker but would not attend sessions of the House until fraud allegations made against him were resolved.[17] The Opposition called for Slipper to stay away from the chamber until sexual harassment charges were resolved as well.[18] In October 2012, Slipper resigned as Speaker of the House.[19] Later that evening, Burke was nominated and elected the new Speaker of the House of Representatives unopposed, becoming the second woman to hold the position after Joan Child.[20][21] As Speaker, Burke instructed members not to refer to her as "Madam Speaker" but rather as "Speaker".[22] This precedent was not followed by her successor Bronwyn Bishop, who requested to be called "Madam Speaker".[22] Burke also gained a reputation as "straight-talking"[23][24] and for using a "death stare" as Speaker.[25][26]

In May 2012, Labor-turned-independent Member of Parliament Craig Thomson, who was embattled with the Health Services Union expenses affair, unexpectedly sided with the Opposition during a parliamentary division. To avoid accepting the "tainted vote" of Thomson, several Opposition members, including the leader Tony Abbott, ran for the doors. Burke had already asked for the doors to be locked so members were prevented from leaving the chamber.[27][28] While Speaker, Burke unsuccessfully called for a national ban on child beauty pageants.[29] In August 2012, Burke invoked Standing Order 94A to eject Abbott from the House for one hour for refusing to withdraw a statement "without qualification".[30] The ejection of an opposition leader was rare and had not occurred since the ejection of John Howard in 1986, and has not happened again since.[30] In 2013, people in the public gallery interrupted question time several times by calling Prime Minister Julia Gillard a liar. This led to Burke stating: "This is Question Time. It is not a football match", and several individuals were removed from the gallery.[31] In August 2013, Burke's Melbourne electorate office was vandalised with graffiti that said "fre [sic] the refugees" and the windows were smashed in protest of the federal government's policy on asylum seekers. Opposition finance spokesperson Andrew Robb's nearby office was similarly vandalised.[32][33]

In the 2013 federal election, Burke suffered a 4.18% swing (2PP) against her in Chisholm but was re-elected with 51.6% of the 2PP vote.[34] Her tenure as Speaker ended with the defeat of the Rudd government, after which the incoming Abbott government appointed Bronwyn Bishop as Speaker.[22] Burke then sought to become chief Opposition whip in the Bill Shorten–led Opposition but was not successful.[35] Burke stated she had been unsuccessful in being appointed to the frontbench because of factional manoeuvring and that Labor had "failed women" by not appointing ministers based on merit, overlooking qualified women.[36][37] In 2014, Burke appeared on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's (ABC) panel show Q+A, which was disrupted by protesters unfurling a banner and voicing criticism of education minister Christopher Pyne.[38] In 2015, Burke announced she would not re-contest her seat at the 2016 federal election.[39] She was replaced as the Member for Chisholm by Liberal MP Julia Banks,[40] who was the only Liberal–National Coalition candidate to win a seat held by an opposition party in 2016.[41]

Career after politics

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Anna Burke's official portrait as Speaker of the House was painted in 2015 by Sydney artist Jude Rae, making it the first portrait in Parliament's Historical Memorials Collection that both depicts and was painted by a woman.[42][21] The portrait was unveiled at Parliament House, Canberra, in 2017.[21] In the 2019 Australia Day Honours, Burke was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for "distinguished service to the Parliament of Australia, particularly as Speaker of the House of Representatives, and to the community".[43]

From 2016 to 2018, Burke served as the chair of Allergy and Anaphylaxis Australia.[2] As of 2024, Burke is a board member of the Institute for Breathing and Sleep since 2016,[2] a board member of RedR Australia since 2018,[2] and chair of the Monash University Accident Research Centre since 2019.[2]

In 2017, Burke was appointed a full-time member of the General, Freedom of Information, and Veterans' Appeals Divisions of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, where her term is due to end in 2024.[44] In 2024, Burke was the lead decision-maker on a case involving a New Zealand-born man referred to as CHCY, who had his visa cancelled due to being convicted for child sexual abuse. The AAT overturned the cancellation of CHCY's visa, stating that CHCY should be allowed to stay in Australia due to his ties to the community, and that his wife and children would move to New Zealand with him were he to be deported, and that the victim in this case had moved to New Zealand already.[45]

Political beliefs

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Refugee policy

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Burke is an outspoken critic of Labor policy on asylum seekers. She is an opponent of offshore detention, a policy that was supported by all major parties during her time in parliament.[46] Burke opposed the Gillard Government's Malaysian Solution, a deal by which Malaysia would accept 800 asylum seekers from Australia.[47] Burke stated she felt "deeply uneasy with the [government's] approach" of using Manus Island as an offshore detention site, and that she was "not in favour of mandatory detention, particularly of women and children".[48] She added her role as Speaker prevented her from strongly advocating on this matter in parliament.[48] In 2013, in a discussion of refugee policy at a community forum in her electorate, Burke said she "sometimes wondered [why she ran for the Labor party]".[49] In 2014, following the death of an asylum seeker in Australian detention on Manus Island,[50] Burke wrote an article for The Guardian to call for a total end to offshore detention.[46] Together with fellow Labor parliamentarian Melissa Parke, Burke tabled a motion at ALP caucus in 2014 to cease the transfer of asylum seekers to Manus Island and Nauru, and to close the detention centres there.[51] The motion was defeated.[52] In 2016, Burke joined a working group that included Members of Parliament and religious leaders to formulate new policy on asylum seekers.[53] Responding to Burke's announcement of her retirement from parliament in 2016, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten described Burke as a "fearless and tireless advocate for the rights of asylum seekers".[54] In her parliamentary valedictory speech, Burke described offshore detention centres as a "festering wound".[55]

Food allergies

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Because her son has a severe peanut allergy, Burke became interested in policy on food allergies.[56] In 2014, Burke proposed the creation of a National Allergen register,[56] and in 2015, she established the Parliamentary Allergy Alliance in cooperation with Australian Greens leader Richard Di Natale and ALP MP Tony Zappia.[57]

Personal life

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In 1994, Burke married Stephen Burgess.[2] The couple have two children; in 1999, when her first child was born, Burke became the second woman to give birth while a sitting Member of the Australian Parliament.[42] Burke had her second child in 2002.[56]

References

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  1. ^ "Ms Anna Burke MP". Q&A. ABC. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Marchant, Sylvia. "Burke, Anna Elizabeth (1966–)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d "Ms Anna Burke MP". Senators and Members of the Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  4. ^ Burke, Anna (3 August 2019). "'I never questioned whether I could do something because I was a girl'". The Age. Archived from the original on 27 October 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  5. ^ "Order in the house". Monash University. 6 September 2018. Archived from the original on 20 February 2024. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  6. ^ "Anna Burke AO Alumni Profile". Monash University. Retrieved 18 November 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ^ "How Acting Speaker of the Federal Parliament Anna Burke juggles the office, kids, haircuts and misbehaving politicians". Herald Sun. 26 August 2012. Archived from the original on 19 November 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
  8. ^ Hearn, Sarah (10 July 2015). "Being Anna Burke: the former speaker opens up". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2015
  9. ^ a b "Cardboard Rudd sparks uproar in Parliament". ABC News. 22 February 2008. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  10. ^ a b Bunce, Jane; Lahey, Kate (22 February 2008). "Chaos in parliament over cardboard Kevin". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  11. ^ a b Anna Burke, Deputy Speaker (22 February 2008). "GRIEVANCE DEBATE". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 2, 2007. Parliament of Australia: House of Representatives. p. 1281. Archived 20 February 2024 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ Harvey, Ellie (17 April 2008). "Call to ban anorexia websites". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  13. ^ Piotrowski, Daniel (9 April 2013). "Pro-anorexia culture 'explodes' on Instagram, says charity". News.com.au. Archived from the original on 16 March 2024.
  14. ^ Pradier, Stephanie (1 August 2012). "Anna Burke: Community connection is the key". Upstart. Archived from the original on 17 November 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  15. ^ a b c Thompson, Jeremy (23 November 2011). "Parliament in turmoil as Speaker resigns". ABC News. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  16. ^ a b Christopher Pyne, Manager of Opposition Business in the House (24 November 2011). "Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Commonwealth of Australia: House of Representatives. p. 13783. Archived 20 February 2024 at the Wayback Machine
  17. ^ Bradfield, Penny (22 April 2012). "Slipper stands aside amid harassment claims". ABC News. Australian Associated Press. Archived from the original on 22 April 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  18. ^ Bradfield, Penny (23 April 2012). "Roxon Warns against 'lynch mob' over Slipper claims". ABC News. Australian Associated Press. Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
  19. ^ "Slipper resigns as Speaker". ABC News. 9 October 2012. Archived from the original on 10 October 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
  20. ^ Koziol, Michael (25 January 2019). "Anna Burke: People like myself can't keep knocking back honours". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  21. ^ a b c Wright, Tony (14 September 2017). "Anna Burke is reminded that in Parliament the bells never stop, even when you've gone". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  22. ^ a b c Hudson, Phillip (12 November 2013). "Bronwyn Bishop voted Speaker of the House on opening day of 44th Parliament". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  23. ^ Milman, Oliver (6 September 2013). "Labor losing vital support in former stronghold of Victoria". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  24. ^ Scarr, Lanai (15 October 2023). "Former Speaker Anna Burke says you could die in your parliamentary office and no-one would notice". News.com.au. Archived from the original on 16 March 2024.
  25. ^ "Speaker Anna Burke joins Talking Pictures". ABC News. 26 May 2013. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  26. ^ Ireland, Judith (10 May 2012). "Eyes have it as Bishop, Burke face off in row". The Canberra Times. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  27. ^ Keane, Bernard (30 May 2012). "Run, Abbott, run! Tony sacrifices dignity in House of Reps escape attempt". Crikey. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  28. ^ Coorey, Phillip; Ireland, Judith (30 May 2012). "Thomson sends Abbott racing for the door". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  29. ^ Corsetti, Stephanie (5 April 2012). "Battlelines drawn over child beauty pageants". The World Today. ABC News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  30. ^ a b "Opposition Leaders suspended from the House of Representatives". Australian Parliamentary Library. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  31. ^ Griffiths, Emma (12 March 2013). "Speaker sees red over Question Time protesters". ABC News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  32. ^ "MPs office buildings vandalised with 'free the refugee' graffiti". ABC News. 30 August 2013. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  33. ^ Milman, Oliver (30 August 2013). "Vandals damage electorate offices of MPs Anna Burke and Andrew Robb". Guardian Australia. Melbourne. Archived from the original on 23 December 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  34. ^ "VIC DIVISION - CHISHOLM". Australian Electoral Commission. 30 September 2013. Archived from the original on 16 March 2024. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  35. ^ Swan, Jonathan; Kenny, Mark (14 October 2013). "Anna Burke slams Labor's frontbench carve-up". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  36. ^ Burke, Anna (14 October 2013). "Yes, I am bitter and disappointed. Once again, Labor failed women". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  37. ^ "Labor MPs slam return to factional 'cabals', after missing out on frontbench". ABC News. 14 October 2013. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  38. ^ Ireland, Judith; Browne, Rachel (5 May 2014). "Q&A hijacked by protesters, Anna Burke praises Christopher Pyne". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 6 December 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  39. ^ Anderson, Stephanie (16 December 2015). "Former speaker Anna Burke calls it quits, will not recontest seat at next election". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 25 April 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  40. ^ Green, Antony (22 July 2016). "Electorate: Chisholm". Federal Election 2016 – Australia Votes. Archived from the original on 17 February 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2018 – via Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
  41. ^ Keen, Lucille (3 July 2016). "Chisholm the only seat Liberals able to snatch". Australian Financial Review. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  42. ^ a b "Anna Elizabeth Burke". Australian Parliamentary Library. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  43. ^ "Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) entry for Anna Elizabeth Burke". Australian Honours Database. Canberra, Australia: Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 26 January 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2021. For distinguished service to the Parliament of Australia, particularly as Speaker of the House of Representatives, and to the community
  44. ^ "Administrative Appeals Tribunal – Table of Statutory Appointments" (PDF). Administrative Appeals Tribunal. 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 February 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  45. ^ Crowley, Tom (28 May 2024). "Coalition says Labor should not spare convicted offenders from deportation over ties to Australia". ABC News. Archived from the original on 28 May 2024. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  46. ^ a b Burke, Anna (26 February 2014). "Why I'm calling for an end to offshore detention". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  47. ^ "Labor MP joins opposition to asylum deal". ABC News. 8 June 2011. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  48. ^ a b Livingston, Angus (10 May 2013). "Chisholm MP Anna Burke speaks out about Labor's asylum seeker policy". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  49. ^ Chan, Gabrielle (7 August 2013). "Anna Burke's off-message joke is a political lesson in authenticity". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  50. ^ Laughland, Oliver (21 February 2014). "Manus violence: dead asylum seeker named as Iranian Reza Barati, 23". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  51. ^ Hurst, Daniel (12 May 2014). "Labor MPs push for rethink of party's support for offshore processing". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  52. ^ Hurst, Daniel (17 June 2014). "Labor caucus rejects calls to abandon support for offshore processing". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  53. ^ Medhora, Shalailah (15 October 2015). "Politicians and church leaders to urge asylum policy rethink after Syria crisis". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  54. ^ Koch, Lucas (16 December 2015). "Labor MP Anna Burke to quit politics in 2016 'before I resent doing a job I love'". The Guardian. Australian Associated Press. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 16 January 2024. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  55. ^ "Labor MP slams asylum-seeker policy". SBS News. Australian Associated Press. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  56. ^ a b c Rabar, Julia (8 May 2014). "Chisholm federal Labor MP Anna Burke calls for national food allergy register". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  57. ^ "Patrons - National Allergy Council". National Allergy Council. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
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Parliament of Australia
Preceded by Member for Chisholm
1998–2016 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives
2012–2013 		Succeeded by
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