Tanya Plibersek | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Official portrait, 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minister for Social Services | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 13 May 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Anthony Albanese | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Amanda Rishworth | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minister for the Environment and Water | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 2 June 2022 – 13 May 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Anthony Albanese | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Sussan Ley | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Murray Watt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Member of theAustralian Parliament forSydney | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 3 October 1998 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Peter Baldwin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Tanya Joan Plibersek (1969-12-02)2 December 1969 (age 56) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Party | Labor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | University of Technology Sydney Macquarie University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Politician | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Signature |  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | Official website | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tanya Joan Pliberšek[a] (born 2 December 1969) is an Australian politician who has served asMinister for Social Services since 2025 and themember of parliament (MP) for theNew South Wales division ofSydney since 1998. Previously, she served as theMinister for the Environment and Water from 2022 to 2025, deputy leader of theLabor Party from 2013 to 2019, and held ministerial offices in theRudd andGillard governments.
Plibersek was born inSydney to Slovenian immigrant parents and grew up inSutherland Shire. She has degrees from theUniversity of Technology Sydney andMacquarie University, and worked in the NSW Government's Domestic Violence Unit before entering parliament. Plibersek was elected to theDivision of Sydney at the1998 federal election, aged 28. She joined theshadow cabinet in 2004, and when Labor won the2007 election was madeMinister for Housing andMinister for the Status of Women.
In a cabinet reshuffle in 2010, Plibersek was madeMinister for Human Services andMinister for Social Inclusion. She was promoted toMinister for Health the following year, and held that position until Labor's defeat at the2013 election. Plibersekwas then elected as deputy to new ALP leaderBill Shorten. Plibersek served as deputy opposition leader until Labor's defeat at the2019 Australian federal election. She was subsequently made shadow minister for education under new opposition leaderAnthony Albanese. Upon Labor's victory at the2022 Australian federal election, she was appointed Minister for the Environment and Water. After the2025 federal election she was made Minister for Social Services in theSecond Albanese ministry. She is a senior figure in theLabor Left faction.
Plibersek was born in Sydney, the youngest of three children born to Joseph and Rose Plibersek. Her elder brother Ray is a lawyer, and her eldest brother Phillip (d. 1997) was a geologist. Her parents were born in small Slovenian villages, arriving in Australia unknown to each other as part of thepost-war immigration scheme. Her mother (néeRosalija Repič) was born inPodvinci, and came to Australia via Italy. Her father (néJože Pliberšek) was born inKočno pri Polskavi, and came to Australia via Austria. He found work as a labourer on theSnowy Mountains Scheme, and later spent 20 years working forQantas as a plumber and gas fitter.[1][2]
Plibersek grew up in the suburb ofOyster Bay in Sydney's Sutherland Shire. She attended Oyster Bay Public School and Jannali Girls High School, where she was the dux. She joined the Labor Party at the age of 15.[1] Plibersek studied journalism at theUniversity of Technology Sydney, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in communications. She then took aMasters in Public Policy and Politics atMacquarie University.[3][4] After a failed attempt to secure a cadetship with theAustralian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), she found work with the Domestic Violence Unit at theNew South Wales Government's Office for the Status and Advancement of Women.[3] She found working with the state women's ministerKerry Chikarovski "demoralising" and later criticised her for focusing on theglass ceiling rather than other women's issues. Plibersek subsequently joined the office of SenatorBruce Childs, before switching to work for SenatorGeorge Campbell as a research officer.[5]
Plibersek was elected to theHouse of Representatives at the1998 federal election, aged 28,[6] retaining theDivision of Sydney for the ALP following the retirement ofPeter Baldwin. With the support of George Campbell's "hard left" faction, she wonpreselection for the seat against twelve other candidates, including ten other women. In the lead-up to the ballot she "wrote to each branch member three or four times, attended branch meetings virtually every night, gave talks to community groups, and contributed to three candidates' debates".[5]
Plibersek supportedKim Beazley's unsuccessful candidacies in the2003 ALP leadership votes, where he initially lost toSimon Crean and then later toMark Latham.[7] In July 2003 she andAnthony Albanese publicly criticised Crean for his rejection of the party's policy on aSecond Sydney Airport.[8]
After the2004 election, Plibersek was elected to Latham'sshadow ministry and allocated three portfolios – youth; the status of women; and work and family, community and early childhood education. In June 2005, after Latham wassucceeded as opposition leader by Beazley, she retained the youth and status of women portfolios and was given responsibility for childcare.[6] Upon the release ofThe Latham Diaries she described him as "a negative and critical person".[9]
Plibersek publicly supported Beazley againstKevin Rudd in the2006 leadership spill, though was retained inRudd's shadow ministry after his defeat of Beazley, with the portfolios of youth; the status of women; and human services and housing.[6]
Following the2007 federal election, Plibersek was appointedMinister for Housing andMinister for the Status of Women in theFirst Rudd Ministry. Following the2010 federal election, Plibersek was appointedMinister for Human Services andMinister for Social Inclusion. Her appointment took effect following the birth of Plibersek's youngest son Louis, and soon afterwards Plibersek directed the Human Services response to the 2010–11 Queensland floods. AsMinister for Human Services, Plibersek established emergency and recovery centres to provide urgent support to flood-affected communities.[citation needed]
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As Minister for Housing, Plibersek established the National Rental Affordability Scheme to build 50,000 affordable rental homes, invested $6 billion in social housing to build 21,600 new homes and repair 80,000 homes, and provided $550 million for homelessness services. The new housing was built ahead of time and under budget. She also established the Housing Affordability Fund and First Home Saver Accounts.[10] In December 2008, along with Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister at that time, Plibersek released the Government's White Paper on Homelessness,The Road Home, which expressed a goal of halving homelessness by 2020.[11] This goal was abandoned by the incoming Abbott government which cut homelessness funding and ended the National Rental Affordability Scheme and First Home Saver Accounts.[citation needed]
As Minister for the Status of Women, Plibersek convened the National Council to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children in May 2008, and released the National Council'sPlan for Australia to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children in March 2009 – the first in Australian history.[12][13] Plibersek also addressed the 2009 United Nations International Women's Day event, attended by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, and announced Australia's formal accession to the United Nations Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).[14] Plibersek said that acceding to the Optional Protocol "will send a strong message that Australia is serious about promotinggender equality and that we are prepared to be judged by international human rights standards."[15]
Plibersek played a key role in designing and securing Australia's first paid parental leave scheme.
Plibersek also strengthened Australia's anti-people trafficking strategy, with a focus on better supporting victims including women in the sex industry.[16]
As Shadow Minister for Women, Plibersek also committed the Labor Opposition to expanding access to abortions by making termination services legal in all taxpayer-funded hospitals. This policy was later dumped from Labor's election commitments under Albanese.[17]
In Opposition, Plibersek supported women's economic security by committing the Labor Opposition to the removal of the $450 per month minimum income threshold for eligibility for the superannuation guarantee, a policy later adopted by the Liberal Government.[18]
Plibersek also committed to forcing companies with over one thousand employees to disclose the gap in salaries between male and female staff. This was dismissed by the Morrison Liberal Government at the time as setting "one set of employees against another".[19]
AsMinister for Health Plibersek establishedGrow Up Smiling, a $4 billion package to support better dental care for children, which expanded Medicare-subsided dental check-ups for children from age 2 to 17. She introduced free Gardasil vaccinations, previously only available for girls, for boys to protect against cancers caused by HPV – a world first.[20] Along with the previous Health Minister, Nicola Roxon, Plibersek also implemented world-leading plain packaging of tobacco laws which saw smoking rates drop to 13%.[citation needed] Plibersek also added the RU486 abortion pill to the PBS, improving access to reproductive healthcare.[21]
When Plibersek was Minister for Health, Australia achieved the best 5-year cancer survival rates in the world. Plibersek also delivered 1,300 more hospital beds and 60,000 additional doctors, nurses and allied health professionals. She also oversaw the funding, construction and/or opening of a number of new facilities, including the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse Cancer Centre, the Kinghorn Cancer Centre, the Launceston Multi-Purpose Health Centre, and a new medical and dental school as well as new facilities for the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) in Adelaide.[citation needed]
Plibersek further added 87 new medicines to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) between 2012–2013. introduced the Living Longer Living Better reforms,[22] allocating $1.2 billion to improve aged care services between 2012–2013, approved the first rapid HIV test for point-of-care use in Australia, providing results within an hour.[23]
Plibersek was unanimously elected deputy leader of the Labor Party (and thusDeputy Leader of the Opposition) on 14 October 2013, followingthe leadership election that had seenBill Shorten succeedKevin Rudd as leader.[24] She was Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Development until July 2016. Following the 2016 election, she was made Shadow Minister for Education and Shadow Minister for Women.[25] Shorten said handing Plibersek the education portfolio was "about putting a great policy thinker on the political frontline".[26]
Plibersek was re-elected at the 2019 election with a swing of 5.7 points to the Labor Party. Following the party's defeat at thefederal election of 2019 andBill Shorten's immediate resignation as party leader, Plibersek made it known that she was interested in standing in the leadership election, and was supported by Shorten and former prime ministerJulia Gillard; however, she concluded that "now is not my time", citing family responsibilities.[27][28][29]
AfterAnthony Albanese's victory in the leadership contest, Plibersek was appointed Shadow Minister for Education and Training in his new shadow cabinet.[30] In January 2021 Albanese also appointed her Shadow Minister for Women.[31]
Plibersek was appointed Minister for the Environment and Water in thefirst Albanese ministry.[32]
UponPeter Dutton's election asLeader of the Opposition, Plibersek compared Dutton toLord Voldemort. In a radio interview, she stated:
"I think there will be a lot of children who have watched a lot ofHarry Potter films who will be very frightened of what they are seeing on TV at night. I am saying he looks a bit like Voldemort. We will see whether he can do what he promised he would do when he was last running for leader, which is smile more."[33]
Plibersek later apologised. In a radio interview, Dutton called the claims "unfortunate" but "water off a duck's back", also noting that he wasn't "bald by choice" and was diagnosed with askin condition several years ago.[33] Plibersek's apology was welcomed by newly electedPrime MinisterAnthony Albanese in an interview withABC News.[33]
In November 2024, Plibersek reached an agreement with theGreens and independent senatorDavid Pocock to pass legislation to create a national environment protection agency. However, the legislation was scrapped at the last minute after intervention from Prime Minister Albanese.[34][35][36]
After the re-election of theAlbanese government in the2025 federal election, Plibersek was moved to the role ofMinister for Social Services in thesecond Albanese ministry.[37]
Plibersek is a member of the Labor Party'sleft faction.
Plibersek has argued that government should actively invest in the economy to promote growth and equality, calling for a federal commitment to a policy of full employment where "Australians who can work, can get a job". During the coronavirus recession of 2020, she has advocated government stimulus over tax cuts for high income earners. In September 2020, she explained her priorities for economic recovery: "We need to be building things in Australia to support both the skilled trades people and the apprentices that we should be training right now. We need to build things. We need to make things. We need to care for people. We need secure jobs with decent pay".
Education
Plibersek is a long-term supporter of investing in education. As the shadow Minister for Education and Training she has developed policies across schools, universities, TAFE and vocational education. Prior to the 2019 election, these policies included increasing school funding by $14 billion over a decade, to the creation of a new Evidence Institute for Schools and instituting a review of the country's NAPLAN testing system. In higher education Plibersek promised to reintroduce the demand driven system of university funding, creating an extra 200,000 places for students.
Energy
Plibersek is a strong supporter of renewable energy and transitioning towards clean energy production. She has argued that the renewables industry is key to promoting new jobs, assisting local manufacturing, lowering carbon emissions and reducing power prices. She has also endorsed programs to help households install solar panels on their homes – which have been adopted by over two and a half million Australia households. In 2018, Plibersek argued against providing federal subsidies for new coal fired power plants.
HousingAfter the 2007 election, Plibersek was made Federal Minister for Housing in the Rudd government. As part of the government's response to the2008 financial crisis, Plibersek implemented several policies that both grew the housing stock and stimulated the Australian economy. These policies included the First Home Owners Boost, providing up to $21,000 for people buying new dwellings, the National Rental Affordability Scheme, providing incentives for investors to build properties for low and middle income Australians, and $6 billion for the construction, repair and improvement of social housing. Plibersek also released the Homelessness White Paper, which set out a comprehensive national plan to tackle homelessness in Australia with significant funding attached. Plibersek has argued that significant new investment in social and public housing should be part of Australia's response to the coronavirus economic downturn.
Welfare
Plibersek supports an increase to Newstart, Australia's then-unemployment benefit, arguing that the current rate is too low, "trapping people in poverty" who are "just surviving" on an allowance of $40 a day.
Women's reproductive rights
Plibersek is pro-choice. As Minister for Health, Plibersek approved listing theabortion drugRU-486 on thePharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Plibersek described the provision of the medicine as "a good thing in the situation where women are faced with one of the most difficult decisions that they will ever make".[38]Anti-abortion groups criticised the move, with one campaigner, Margaret Tighe, labelling it a "gross abuse of power."[39] Other commentators, includingClementine Ford, labelled the decision "progressive".[40][41]
First Nations people
Plibersek supports instituting an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, based on the recommendations made in theUluru Statement from the Heart. As Deputy Leader of the Labor Party, she stated that implementing the Indigenous Voice was her party's priority in Indigenous affairs, alongside ‘closing the gap’, particularly in health and education.
An Australian republic
Plibersek supports Australia becoming a Republic. As a first term Member of Parliament in 1999, she campaigned for the yes vote in the constitutional referendum to replace the Queen and Governor-General with a President appointed by a two-thirds majority of the members of the Commonwealth Parliament.
LGBT rights
From the 1990s onward, Plibersek campaigned for the removal of discrimination against same-sex de facto couples from federal legislation, raising the issue formally in Parliament on multiple occasions during her parliamentary career (including 1999,[42] 2006,[43] and 2008[44]). In her regular paid advertisement in theSouth Sydney Herald, Plibersek wrote that "The passing of these reforms to federal legislation was one of the proudest moments of my time in the Australian Parliament"[45] and she has marched in theSydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade almost every year for three decades.[46]
As deputy leader, Plibersek led the push to make support forsame-sex marriage binding Labor policy[47] which resulted in many Labor MPs speaking out publicly in support of same-sex marriage. Plibersek seconded a private members bill to legalise same sex marriage, moved by Labor leader Bill Shorten. She opposed the 2017 postal plebiscite, arguing it was unnecessary and divisive, but campaigned strongly for the ‘yes’ vote during the plebiscite campaign.
Multiculturalism and citizenship
As an Australian withSlovenian heritage, Plibersek is vocal advocate for multiculturalism. On an episode of Q&A in 2018 she clashed with conservative SenatorMatthew Canavan on the topic of immigration, arguing against Canavan's claim that immigrants congregated through ‘ghettoisation’. Before the 2019 election, Plibersek pledged $8 million towards community language schools, to expand language training for children.
In January 2020 Plibersek aroused controversy in an Australia Day speech, calling for children to learn the Australian citizenship pledge at school.[48][49] In the speech, Plibersek argued that progressives should feel more comfortable with the concept of patriotism: "You can be proud of your citizenship and dedicated to progress. You can cherish this nation and want to make it better. You can be a progressive and love your country: I certainly do."
Foreign aid
As Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, Plibersek opposed the cuts to foreign aid made by the Abbott Liberal government. At the 2016 election Labor promised to reverse those cuts if elected.
Iraq
Plibersek opposed the2003 invasion of Iraq.[50] In 2003, when then-US PresidentGeorge W. Bush visited Australia, Tanya presented national security adviser Condoleezza Rice with a letter, signed by 43 Labor MPs, explaining why Labor parliamentarians opposed Australia invading Iraq without United Nations approval.[51] She also stated in Parliament, "I do not support an attack on Iraq. I particularly do not support a pre-emptive first strike. Nor do I support any action that is initiated by the US alone rather than being sanctioned by the United Nations."[50]
East Timor
While Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs in 2016, Plibersek proposed that Australia redraw its maritime border with East Timor. According to theSydney Morning Herald, "Ms Plibersek lamented that Australia's pivotal role in securing East Timor's independence – "a proud moment" – was being tarnished by its refusal to negotiate a new, permanent maritime boundary with East Timor. "The maritime boundary dispute has poisoned relations with our newest neighbour. This must change for their sake and ours," Ms Plibersek said."[52]This position was later adopted by the Liberal government, and a new border agreement treaty was signed in 2018.
Israel
Speaking in the House of Representatives on 17 September 2002, Plibersek said: "I can think of arogue state which consistently ignores UN resolutions, whose ruler is a war criminal responsible for the massacres of civilians in refugee camps outside its borders. The US supports and funds this country. This year it gave it a blank cheque to continue its repression of its enemies. It uses US military hardware to bulldoze homes and kill civilians. It is called Israel, and thewar criminal isAriel Sharon. Needless to say, the US does not mention the UN resolutions that Israel has ignored for 30 years; it just continues sending the money..."[53]
Plibersek's remarks again gained prominence in October 2013, after she andBill Shorten were elected as deputy leader and leader of the Labor Party, respectively. After choosing to take on the foreign affairs portfolio while in opposition,Liberal Party MPJulie Bishop, thenMinister for Foreign Affairs, said Plibersek should "publicly retract those statements".The Australian noted that Plibersek's appointment was likely to be criticised by theJewish community in Australia.[54]
But the Executive Council of Australian Jewry expressed satisfaction in Plibersek's elevation to the deputy leadership, noting that she had ‘developed friendly relations with the Jewish Community’. Plibersek visited Israel and theState of Palestine in February 2014, meeting with thePrime Minister of Palestine,Rami Hamdallah.[55]
Plibersek has held the following portfolios and parliamentary party positions since her election in 1998 (both shadow and government appointments are listed):[6]
Plibersek lives in Sydney with her husbandMichael Coutts-Trotter, who is a senior NSW public servant, and three children.[56]
Following the2010 federal election, when Labor retained government with the support of theAustralian Greens andindependents, parliamentary numbers were finely balanced. After some controversy, Plibersek was granted apair by the Coalition so that her absence from the House of Representatives while on maternity leave did not affect the result of votes.[57] She gave birth to her son later that year.[58][59]
In September 2016, her older brother Ray Plibersek was elected toSutherland Shire council representing C Ward for the Australian Labor Party.[60]
Plibersek is fond of bushwalking andJane Austen[61] novels.
| Parliament of Australia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member for Sydney 1998–present | Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Minister for Housing 2007–2010 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for Human Services 2010–2011 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for Health 2011–2013 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Deputy Leader of the Opposition 2013–2019 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for the Environment and Water 2022–2025 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for Social Services 2025–present | Incumbent |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Deputy Leader of the Labor Party 2013–2019 | Succeeded by |
Prime Minister:Kevin Rudd | ||
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Prime Minister:Anthony Albanese | ||
| Cabinet | .jpg) | |
| Outer Ministry | ||
| Assistant Ministers | ||
| Resigned | ||
Prime Minister:Anthony Albanese | ||
| Cabinet | | |
| Outer Ministry | ||
| Assistant Ministers | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
