Wiradjuri woman Linda Burney has made history over the weekend, becoming the first Indigenous woman elected to the lower house of federal parliament.
Ms Burney, the former deputy leader of the NSW Labor Party, claimed victory in the marginal Sydney seat of Barton on Saturday night.
Ms Burney said she is not concerned about the potential for a hung parliament. “A hung parliament requires good negotiation. It requires a good relationship with the crossbenchers and it does not mean a paralysis at all,” she said.
When Burney was elected as the Member for Canterbury in 2003 she became the first Indigenous person to serve in the NSW Parliament.
A record number of Indigenous candidates stood in this year’s federal election, with eight women and five men running for parliament.
Ms Burney says the support in her community has been “astounding.” During her speech she gave credit to the multicultural community of Barton.
It’s an honour to be the first Indigenous woman in Federal Parliament. Thanks for all your support #ausvotes pic.twitter.com/Wi3Rix1b0Z
— Linda Burney MP (@LindaBurneyMP) July 2, 2016
