Former speaker Anna Burke will not contest her seat at the next federal election, stating she can no longer guarantee "100 per cent" effort.

Ms Burke has held the Victorian seat of Chisholm for almost two decades, since winning the seat from the Liberal Party in 1998.

She has served as both speaker and deputy speaker in that time, but says "the time has come and I have decided to call it quits".

"I said I would go when I was no longer able to give the job 100 per cent and I just can't guarantee it anymore," Ms Burke said.

"I'm leaving because you have to go sometime and I want to go before I resent doing a job I love and no longer cherish every moment in my electorate."

Ms Burke said she was "not running away from the prospect of facing a Malcolm Turnbull-led coalition", though the Liberal Party did achieve a 4.2 per cent swing in the 2013 election.

Labor currently holds the Melbourne-based seat by a margin of 3.2 per cent.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten thanked Ms Burke for her passion, describing her as a "fearless and tireless advocate for the rights of asylum seekers".

"In an often fractious and contested Parliament, Anna was a skilful, impartial and patient speaker, becoming only the second woman to hold the position in the history of Federation," he said.

"Anna has served the people of Chisholm, our party and Australia with absolute distinction."