Tony Burke was elected to Australian Parliament in 2004 as the Member for Watson.

Tony has a background in small business and industrial relations. He was a founding director of Aticus Pty Ltd and later worked as a union official for the SDA.

On election to the Australian Parliament in 2004, he was appointed Shadow Minister for Small Business. In June 2005, he was appointed Shadow Minister for Immigration. This portfolio was expanded to Immigration, Integration and Citizenship in December 2006.

Following election of a new Labor Government in November 2007, the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, gave Tony the honour of being named Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in the Rudd Government's first Cabinet.

On 5 December 2007 Tony was sworn in as a Minister of the Crown by His Excellency the Governor-General, Major General Michael Jeffery.

Before entering Federal Parliament, Tony served as a member of the NSW Legislative Council. During his time there he chaired the NSW State Development Committee, conducting inquiries into Ports Infrastructure and into Science and its Commercialisation in NSW.