On Thursday, Linda Burney announced she would not be recontesting her seat of Barton and would be stepping down as the Minister for Indigenous Australians.

Ms Burney has been serving in Parliament for over 21 years, first in NSW and then moving to the Federal Parliament in 2016. By any measure, that's a very long time but particularly in politics.

In announcing Ms Burney's resignation, the Prime Minister said, "She is someone who gives her heart and soul to the cause and for the people she advocates for."

Truer words have never been said.

While Ms Burney is not from my party, it doesn't detract from my immense respect for her contributions, which transcend our political differences. Indeed, it would be reductive to boil down her contributions to the outcome of the recent referendum on constitutional recognition and a Voice to Parliament.

While the country did not vote as the Labor government wanted, and for that which Ms Burney campaigned, this should not overshadow her lifelong struggle to advance the cause of Indigenous Australians. Prior to being elected as the first Indigenous woman to the House of Representatives, she was the first Indigenous person elected to the NSW Legislative Assembly. She is also the first female Indigenous person to sit in cabinet as the Minister for Indigenous Affairs.

There are many firsts in Ms Burney's career but throughout her time she has been a tireless fighter for what she has believed in, in a bid for meaningful reconciliation in our country. Ms Burney has always acted with humility, grace, and calm consideration, regardless of how desperate or perilous the situation was we were confronting as a nation. In the wake of the failed referendum vote, she never lost sight of her mission, describing the day as one of "sadness but not the end of reconciliation".

Her demeanor, heart, and spirit made it feel like the Labor government didn't just have a Minister for Indigenous Affairs but that the Parliament had within its walls an Elder who could help shepherd young generations through times of fissure and difficulty. Contributions like hers, those who seek to "go high when others go low" are all the more important given the backdrop of race-based populism which seems to be arriving on more and more shores around the world.

Despite Australia not moving to change our constitution as she campaigned so hard for, there is no doubt that she has laid a path for future generations to follow. Indeed, in her final act as Minister, that's exactly what she's doing—stepping back so others can step forward and take her place. They will take up the causes anew with fresh directions and new energy. While some may disagree with her on matters of policy, and while the nation didn't vote Yes, there is an overwhelming and unmistakable appreciation that the Parliament and our country have been better off for her service.

Zak Kirkup is of Yamatji descent and is a former leader of the WA Liberal Party.