 |
Tanya PlibersekAustralian politician
Date of Birth: 02.12.1969
Country:  Australia |
Content:
- Tanya Plibersek
- University and Early Career
- Ministerial Career
- Health Minister
- Labor Shadow Cabinet
- Shadow Ministerial Roles
- Current Role
- Personal Life
Tanya Plibersek
Early Life and EducationDaughter of Immigrants and Political Activism
Tanya Plibersek was born to Slovenian immigrants in the 1950s. Her father worked on the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme. At the tender age of 14, Plibersek became politically active, encouraging her classmates at Sydney's Genazzano College for Girls to participate in peace marches. She joined the Labor Party at 15.
University and Early Career
Plibersek earned a degree in public relations from the University of Technology, Sydney. She worked as a staffer for Senator Bruce Childs and was elected to the House of Representatives as the member for Sydney in 1998.
Ministerial Career
Labor Governments (2007-2013)Housing, Women's Affairs, and Disability Services
On December 3, 2007, Plibersek was appointed Minister for Housing and Minister for the Status of Women in Kevin Rudd's government. She retained both portfolios in Julia Gillard's government, formed on June 24, 2010. On September 14, 2010, she was additionally appointed Minister for Human Services and Minister for Social Inclusion.
Health Minister
On December 14, 2011, Plibersek became Health Minister in Gillard's government. She retained this role in Rudd's second government on June 27, 2013, with the title changing to "Minister for Health and Medical Research" on July 1, 2013.
Labor Shadow Cabinet
Deputy Leader and Senior Roles (2013-2019)Deputy Leader of the Labor Party
Following Labor's defeat in the 2013 election, Plibersek was elected Deputy Leader of the party under Bill Shorten on October 13, 2013. This appointment, along with Penny Wong becoming Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and the inclusion of 11 other women in the shadow ministry, marked a high point in female representation in Australian Labor politics.
Shadow Ministerial Roles
In Shorten's shadow cabinet, Plibersek held the positions of Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and Labor's spokesperson on commemorating the ANZAC centenary. In 2016, she became Shadow Minister for Education and Shadow Minister for Women, while Penny Wong took over her foreign affairs responsibilities.
Current Role
Shadow Minister for Education and Training (2020-Present)After Labor's unsuccessful 2019 election campaign, Anthony Albanese became Leader of the Labor Party. Tanya Plibersek remained a senior figure within the party and was appointed Shadow Minister for Education and Training in Albanese's shadow cabinet on June 2, 2020.
Personal Life
Plibersek is married to Michael Coutts-Trotter, a conservative public servant. They have three children.
