Tanya Plibersek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tanya Plibersek
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Official portrait, 2022
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| Minister for Social Services | |
| Assumed office 13 May 2025 |
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| Prime Minister | Anthony Albanese |
| Preceded by | Amanda Rishworth |
| Minister for the Environment and Water | |
| In office 1 June 2022 – 13 May 2025 |
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| Prime Minister | Anthony Albanese |
| Preceded by | Sussan Ley |
| Succeeded by | Murray Watt |
| Deputy Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 14 October 2013 – 30 May 2019 |
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| Leader | Bill Shorten |
| Preceded by | Julie Bishop |
| Succeeded by | Richard Marles |
| Deputy Leader of the Labor Party | |
| In office 14 October 2013 – 30 May 2019 |
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| Leader | Bill Shorten |
| Preceded by | Anthony Albanese |
| Succeeded by | Richard Marles |
| Minister for Health and Medical Research | |
| In office 14 December 2011 – 18 September 2013 |
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| Prime Minister | Julia Gillard Kevin Rudd |
| Preceded by | Nicola Roxon |
| Succeeded by | Peter Dutton |
| Minister for Human Services | |
| In office 14 September 2010 – 14 December 2011 |
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| Prime Minister | Julia Gillard |
| Preceded by | Chris Bowen |
| Succeeded by | Brendan O'Connor |
| Minister for Social Inclusion | |
| In office 14 September 2010 – 14 December 2011 |
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| Prime Minister | Julia Gillard |
| Preceded by | Simon Crean |
| Succeeded by | Mark Butler |
| Minister for Housing | |
| In office 3 December 2007 – 14 September 2010 |
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| Prime Minister | Kevin Rudd Julia Gillard |
| Preceded by | Brian Howe (1996) |
| Succeeded by | Mark Arbib |
| Minister for the Status of Women | |
| In office 3 December 2007 – 14 September 2010 |
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| Prime Minister | Kevin Rudd Julia Gillard |
| Preceded by | Julie Bishop |
| Succeeded by | Kate Ellis |
| Member of Parliament for Sydney |
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| Assumed office 3 October 1998 |
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| Preceded by | Peter Baldwin |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Tanya Joan Plibersek
2 December 1969 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Political party | Labor |
| Spouse |
Michael Coutts-Trotter
(m. 2000) |
| Alma mater | University of Technology Sydney Macquarie University |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Signature |  |
Tanya Joan Plibersek (born 2 December 1969) is an Australian politician. She is a member of the Labor Party (ALP). Since 1998, she has been the member of Parliament (MP) for the Sydney area.
Plibersek has held many important government jobs, called ministerial roles. Since May 2025, she has been the Minister for Social Services in the government led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Before that, she was the Minister for the Environment and Water from 2022 to 2025. She was also the deputy leader of the Labor Party from 2013 to 2019.
She was born in Sydney to parents who moved to Australia from Slovenia. She studied at the University of Technology Sydney and Macquarie University. Before becoming a politician, she worked for the New South Wales government. Plibersek has been a senior member of the Labor Left group within her party for many years.
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Early Life and Education
Tanya Plibersek was born in Sydney and was the youngest of three children. Her parents, Joseph and Rose, came to Australia from Slovenia after World War II. Her father worked as a plumber for the airline Qantas for 20 years.
Plibersek grew up in Oyster Bay, a suburb of Sydney. She went to Jannali Girls High School, where she was the top student (dux). She joined the Labor Party when she was only 15 years old.
She studied communications at the University of Technology Sydney. Later, she earned a Master's degree in Public Policy and Politics from Macquarie University. Before entering politics, she worked in a government office that focused on helping victims of domestic violence.
Political Career
Entering Parliament
In 1998, at the age of 28, Plibersek was elected to the House of Representatives. She represented the Division of Sydney for the Labor Party.
From 1998 to 2007, the Labor Party was in opposition. This means they were not the party in power. During this time, Plibersek became part of the shadow cabinet. A shadow cabinet is a group of senior opposition politicians who "shadow" the government ministers. In 2004, she was given responsibility for areas like youth, women's issues, and childcare.
Working in Government (2007–2013)
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When Labor won the 2007 election, Plibersek became a government minister. She served under Prime Ministers Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard.
Minister for Housing and Women
As Minister for Housing, she started programs to build thousands of new, affordable homes for people to rent and buy. She also worked to help homeless people.
As Minister for the Status of Women, she helped create Australia's first national plan to reduce violence against women and children. She also played a big part in creating Australia's first paid leave program for new parents.
Minister for Health
In 2011, Plibersek became the Minister for Health. She started a program to give children better dental care. She also made vaccinations against the HPV virus free for boys, which was a world first. This vaccine helps protect against some types of cancer.
During her time as Health Minister, Australia had some of the best cancer survival rates in the world. She also helped add many new medicines to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), which makes them cheaper for people to buy.
Deputy Leader of the Opposition (2013–2019)
After Labor lost the 2013 election, Plibersek was elected as the deputy leader of the party, with Bill Shorten as the leader. She was also the Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and later the Shadow Minister for Education.
After the 2019 election, Shorten stepped down as leader. Plibersek thought about running for the leadership but decided it was not the right time for her and her family. Anthony Albanese became the new leader, and Plibersek was made the Shadow Minister for Education and Training and the Shadow Minister for Women.
Return to Government (2022–present)
When Labor won the 2022 election, Plibersek was appointed Minister for the Environment and Water. She worked on protecting Australia's natural environment and managing its water resources.
After the Labor government was re-elected in the 2025 election, she became the Minister for Social Services. In this role, she is in charge of government services that support families, communities, and individuals in need.
What Tanya Plibersek Believes In
Plibersek is known for her progressive views and is a key member of the Labor Left faction of her party.
- Economy and Jobs: She believes the government should invest in projects to create jobs and make society more equal. She supports building more things in Australia and making sure workers have secure jobs with good pay.
- Education: Plibersek is a strong supporter of public education. She has pushed for more funding for schools, universities, and TAFE (technical and further education).
- Environment: She supports renewable energy like solar and wind power. She believes moving to clean energy will create jobs, lower pollution, and reduce electricity prices.
- Social Issues: Plibersek has long supported equal rights for all people. She campaigned for marriage equality and believes in a multicultural Australia. She also supports an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, as suggested in the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
- Foreign Policy: She has argued against cuts to foreign aid, which is money Australia gives to help other countries. She also supported redrawing the sea border between Australia and East Timor to be fairer.
Personal Life
Plibersek is married to Michael Coutts-Trotter, a senior public servant in New South Wales. They have three children and live in Sydney.
In her free time, Plibersek enjoys bushwalking and reading novels by the author Jane Austen. Her older brother, Ray Plibersek, is also involved in politics and serves on a local council.
See also
- First Rudd ministry
- First Gillard ministry
- Second Gillard ministry
