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AUSPOLLIEWATCH EVERY CLAIM LINKS TO ITS SOURCE · NOT A SCORECARD

Portrait of Tony Burke

Tony Burke

Australian Labor Party · House of Representatives · Watson (NSW) · incumbent

Early life & education encyclopedia

Anthony Stephen Burke was born on 4 November 1969 in Sydney, New South Wales, and was raised in a Catholic family. He was educated at Regina Coeli and St Patrick's College before graduating from the University of Sydney with a double Bachelor of Arts and Law. Before entering politics he worked as a political staffer (including for Labor senators Graham Richardson and Michael Forshaw, 1993–1995), company director, and union organiser.

Background encyclopedia

Minister for Home Affairs; Minister for Immigration and Citizenship; Minister for Cyber Security; Minister for the Arts (cabinet) in the Second Albanese ministry, sworn in on 13 May 2025. Australian Labor Party MP for Watson.

Federal ministry Minister for Home Affairs · Minister for Immigration and Citizenship · Minister for Cyber Security · Minister for the Arts (Second Albanese ministry). [the ministry] [source]

2025 election · Watson BURKE, Tony (Labor) was elected with 39,763 first-preference votes. Two-candidate-preferred count: BURKE, Tony (Labor) 55,099, BASYOUNY, Ziad (Independent) 27,735. [AEC results]

Sourced positions

Each position is the member's own stated view or vote, supported by the listed sources. The badge says what kind of source backs it — official record (Hansard, a parliament, a government or an electoral commission), own statement (their own site or their party's), news report (journalism or a third-party organisation) or encyclopedia. That is a statement about the evidence, not about how much we believe it. This page records public statements and conduct only — see methodology.

AyeNoPairedDid not vote

Immigration news report

As Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration, Burke has defended immigration and multiculturalism, saying "Without immigration, we would be a very different country" and "Modern Australia and multicultural Australia are the same thing," and that "what matters is who you are, not where you're from." He has also said "there is no place in our country for people who seek to divide and undermine our social cohesion," and rejected the Coalition's proposed values-based screening of migrants.

Votes on record · 1

Foreign policy & aid news report

Responding to Israeli PM Netanyahu (20 August 2025, ABC Radio National), Home Affairs Minister Burke said 'strength is not measured by how many people you can blow up or how many children you can leave hungry', defended the Albanese government's recognition of Palestinian statehood as a principled decision made after consulting Netanyahu, and stated 'what is happening in Gaza is beyond belief'.

Economy & tax recorded votes

Votes on record · 7

Workplace & industrial relations recorded votes

Votes on record · 2

Drugs & law and order recorded votes

Votes on record · 5

Gambling & gaming reform recorded votes

Votes on record · 1

First Nations & treaty recorded votes

Votes on record · 2

Integrity & anti-corruption recorded votes

Votes on record · 2

Health recorded votes

Votes on record · 5

Education recorded votes

Votes on record · 2

Environment & water recorded votes

Votes on record · 9

Votes are shown as the official record lists them — Hansard federally and in New South Wales; Votes and Proceedings, Minutes of the Proceedings and Hansard in Victoria; the Record of Proceedings in Queensland; the Votes and Proceedings and Minutes of Proceedings in Western Australia; the Votes and Proceedings (House of Assembly) and Hansard (Legislative Council) in South Australia; the Votes and Proceedings of both chambers in Tasmania. "Did not vote" means the member held the seat that day and is on neither list — the record says who was in the chamber, not why, so it is never an abstention. Western Australia’s record prints no pairs, so a member paired there shows as did not vote. Nothing is shown for a presiding officer who by law gives only a casting vote (the Speaker and the President in South Australia, the President in Tasmania), nor for the member presiding at a Tasmanian division, which Tasmania’s journals record. Which bills sit under which issue is an editorial choice, made bill by bill with a reason read from the second-reading speech. A bill decided by an earlier parliament (Queensland’s 2018 abortion law reform, for one) is shown with that parliament named, read from the official record of the day. For Queensland and the federal parliament “did not vote” there means the member held a seat that day, as their service is recorded; for the other earlier parliaments the record of who held a seat could not be read, so only the printed Aye, No and paired votes are shown.

Record last updated 2026-10-10.