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AUSPOLLIEWATCH EVERY CLAIM LINKS TO ITS SOURCE · NOT A SCORECARD

Portrait of Tanya Plibersek

Tanya Plibersek

Australian Labor Party · House of Representatives · Sydney (NSW) · incumbent

Early life & education encyclopedia

Tanya Plibersek was born on 2 December 1969 in Sydney to Slovenian immigrant parents (her mother from Podvinci, her father from Kočno pri Polskavi, who arrived in Australia as part of the post-war immigration scheme) and grew up in Oyster Bay in Sydney's Sutherland Shire. She attended Oyster Bay Public School and Jannali Girls High School, where she was dux, and later studied journalism/communications at the University of Technology Sydney and holds degrees from UTS and Macquarie University. Before entering parliament she worked in the NSW Government's Domestic Violence Unit.

Background encyclopedia

Minister for Social Services (cabinet) in the Second Albanese ministry, sworn in on 13 May 2025. Australian Labor Party MP for Sydney.

Federal ministry Minister for Social Services (Second Albanese ministry). [the ministry] [source]

2025 election · Sydney PLIBERSEK, Tanya (Labor) was elected with 59,153 first-preference votes. Two-candidate-preferred count: PLIBERSEK, Tanya (Labor) 76,089, VELEZ, Luc (The Greens) 31,160. [AEC results]

Sourced positions

Each position is the member's own stated view or vote, supported by the listed sources. The badge says what kind of source backs it — official record (Hansard, a parliament, a government or an electoral commission), own statement (their own site or their party's), news report (journalism or a third-party organisation) or encyclopedia. That is a statement about the evidence, not about how much we believe it. This page records public statements and conduct only — see methodology.

AyeNoPairedDid not vote

Immigration news report

In a 2003 workshop talk on multiculturalism, Plibersek argued that "the first and biggest lie is the one that suggests asylum seekers are a threat to this nation," noting Australia accepts a small number of refugees by world standards. She criticised Australia for choosing "the most expensive system for dealing with refugees - locking them up - or even more expensive, putting them on Nauru or Manus Island," and is a vocal advocate for multiculturalism.

Votes on record · 1

Faith & religion own statement

Plibersek has said she was raised Catholic. In her 2022 Archbishop Daniel Mannix Lecture she said 'I was raised firmly within the arms of the Catholic Church,' describing her first communion, confirmation, Sunday mass and weekly confession, and adding that 'growing up Catholic has influenced my politics.' She does not state whether she currently practises.

Foreign policy & aid encyclopedia

In 2002 Plibersek described Israel as 'a rogue state' and Ariel Sharon as a 'war criminal'; the Executive Council of Australian Jewry later noted she had 'developed friendly relations with the Jewish Community', and she visited Israel and Palestine in 2014. As Shadow Foreign Minister in 2016 she advocated redrawing Australia's maritime border with East Timor. She opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq and presented a letter signed by 43 Labor MPs opposing invasion without UN approval, and opposed the Abbott government's cuts to foreign aid.

Economy & tax recorded votes

Votes on record · 7

Workplace & industrial relations recorded votes

Votes on record · 2

Drugs & law and order recorded votes

Votes on record · 5

Gambling & gaming reform recorded votes

Votes on record · 1

First Nations & treaty recorded votes

Votes on record · 2

Integrity & anti-corruption recorded votes

Votes on record · 2

Health recorded votes

Votes on record · 5

Education recorded votes

Votes on record · 2

Environment & water recorded votes

Votes on record · 9

Votes are shown as the official record lists them — Hansard federally and in New South Wales; Votes and Proceedings, Minutes of the Proceedings and Hansard in Victoria; the Record of Proceedings in Queensland; the Votes and Proceedings and Minutes of Proceedings in Western Australia; the Votes and Proceedings (House of Assembly) and Hansard (Legislative Council) in South Australia; the Votes and Proceedings of both chambers in Tasmania. "Did not vote" means the member held the seat that day and is on neither list — the record says who was in the chamber, not why, so it is never an abstention. Western Australia’s record prints no pairs, so a member paired there shows as did not vote. Nothing is shown for a presiding officer who by law gives only a casting vote (the Speaker and the President in South Australia, the President in Tasmania), nor for the member presiding at a Tasmanian division, which Tasmania’s journals record. Which bills sit under which issue is an editorial choice, made bill by bill with a reason read from the second-reading speech. A bill decided by an earlier parliament (Queensland’s 2018 abortion law reform, for one) is shown with that parliament named, read from the official record of the day. For Queensland and the federal parliament “did not vote” there means the member held a seat that day, as their service is recorded; for the other earlier parliaments the record of who held a seat could not be read, so only the printed Aye, No and paired votes are shown.

Record last updated 2026-10-10.