The defeat of the voice referendum will be a catalyst for change for Indigenous people, outgoing MP Linda Burney says, expressing honour at being a trailblazer for Aboriginal women in politics.
In a valedictory speech to federal parliament, the former Indigenous Australians minister said she hoped she would leave politics having earned respect.
Ms Burney, who became the first Indigenous woman elected to the House of Representatives, announced in July she would resign at the next election.
"When I first entered this house, I knew I was walking a path that had never before been walked by someone like me ... a path paved with hope, with responsibility and a deep commitment," she told parliament on Wednesday.
"I hope to leave having earned respect for the way I have worked."
Ms Burney first entered politics in 2016, following more than a decade in NSW state parliament, and was appointed Indigenous Australians Minister in 2022 following Labor's return to office.
She was in the ministerial position during the Indigenous voice referendum in October 2023, which was defeated.
While Australia voted 'no' to the constitutional reform for Indigenous people, Ms Burney said she was optimistic about the future.
"The referendum did not achieve the outcomes that many of us, all of us, wanted, but I believe it can and will be a catalyst for progress and positive change in our nation," Ms Burney said.
"Australia sometimes struggles with our identity, because we never came to terms with our own story, never embraced the breadth and depth of it, certainly not its truth."
Ms Burney was honoured during the speech with Indigenous singers, who gave a performance from the public gallery.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also paid tribute to the outgoing MP.
"She leaves parliament as she entered it, with a message of hope, with a positivity that I just would wish that we could all embrace," he said.
"Linda Burney has always been on the side of hope. She has engaged with grace, with kindness, and importantly, with remarkable courage. That's why she leaves this place with the admiration of anyone who has dealt with her."
Ms Burney said working within parliament had been one of her greatest honours, and expressed hope for Indigenous reconciliation.
"We don't have to choose between so called practical and symbolic reconciliation. It's a false choice. It's a phony argument," she said.
"Having a roof over your head and a job are vitally important ... but important, too, is having pride in your culture, identity and language."
