Meg Lees played a crucial role in introducing the GST to Australia, but it's not only tax reform she hopes to be remembered for.
Reflecting on her 15 years in the Senate, her involvement in environmental policy springs to mind when recalling notable achievements.
She secured passage of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act of 1999, consolidating all of Australia's federal environment legislation.
It was a proud moment for Ms Lees, an environmentalist who has worked with Birds Australia and various other conservation groups.
This Australia Day, the 69-year-old has been appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for her contributions to environmental legislation and for helping reform the tax system.
A former teacher, she was elected Senator for South Australia as a member of the Australian Democrats in 1990.
She served as leader of the party from 1997, and in 1999 supported then-prime minister John Howard's GST package, which she said worked for the Australian people and the country as a whole.
"We made sure that people on the lower levels of the income scale were fully protected," she told AAP.
"We put Australia in a position to weather the Global Financial Crisis because we had some money in reserve to get us through that."
Her time as leader of the Australian Democrats ended in 2001, and she left the party to sit as an independent in 2002.
In 2003, Ms Lees founded the Australian Progressive Alliance, which existed until she left the Senate in 2005.
She'll spend this Australia Day watching the cricket at Adelaide Oval, but recognises January 26 is not a date that pleases all Australians.
"[The date] is not something that needs to continue to be locked in," she said.
"I don't think people can keep sweeping it under the carpet and hoping it will go away."
