He was heavily involved in advocating for the passage of the Coal Mines Regulation Act 1902 in New South Wales, and was blacklisted by mine owners following its passage, so moved to Tasmania that year.

[4][5] In 1907, he went to Queensland to work as secretary and organiser of the Charters Towers branch of the Australian Workers' Union.

Burns again unsuccessfully contested the seat of Illawarra in the 1919 federal election, standing for the breakaway Industrial Socialist Labor Party.

[7] Returning to the Labor Party, he was an unsuccessful candidate for St George at the 1925 New South Wales state election.

This article about an Australian Labor Party member of the House of Representatives is a stub.