Linda Burney reveals ‘mini stroke’ before heart surgery

The Indigenous Affairs Minister has opened up about the minor health complication she suffered before undergoing surgery in 2020 to repair a hole in her heart.

Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney.

Linda Burney survived a “mini-stroke” before undergoing surgery for a hole in her heart in 2020.

The Indigenous Affairs Minister confirmed the medical issue had caused an alteration in her voice and she, as reported by The Age, “misremembered key details of the event, including the date”.

The 66-year-old is now “fighting fit”.

“I just feel fantastic now. There are absolutely no issues at all with my health,” Ms Burney said.

The medical episode was a transient ischaemic attack – a brief stroke-like attack that usually resolves within 24-hours before she underwent heart surgery.

Ms Burney’s office “requested the interview” with the Nine newspapers to “confront a whispering campaign” about her health, hours before she appears on a new episode of the ABC’s Kitchen Cabinet and on the eve of the date for the voice referendum to be announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Adelaide.

During the most recent parliamentary sittings, Ms Burney has come under intense scrutiny over the Indigenous voice to parliament, particularly in question time, where colleagues like Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek have fetched her water and provided quiet counsel in the chamber.

Opposition MPs, including Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor and Liberal deputy leader Sussan Ley, have also indicated they would be happy for Ms Burney to take questions on notice rather than have her at the dispatch box for supplementary interrogation over details of the voice.

The Australian has reached out to Ms Burney’s office for comment.