Inside Tanya Plibersek’s Day
- Rita Bratovich
- Dec 3
- 3 min read
A closer look at how Tanya Plibersek balances ministerial duties with local life.
By Rita Bratovich
Name: Tanya Plibersek
Occupation: Member for Sydney, Minister for Social Services
3 words to describe a typical day: long, busy, rewarding
Something people wouldn’t expect about your role: No two days are alike. Every day is interesting.
It’s fair to assume Tanya Plibersek loves what she does, having done it for 27 years and counting. The popular politician is as much a Sydney icon as the Bridge or Opera House; testament to that is this year’s election result in which she achieved the highest primary Labor vote in the country.
Tanya’s legacy, however, will go beyond high polling scores. As a conscientious, empathetic MP, Tanya proudly notes among her achievements the introduction of Kids’ Dental; the building of 80 new homelessness services; and the additional 100 million hectares of land and ocean that have been conserved in Australia.
Motivated to make a difference, Tanya aims for significant systemic changes, yet she also feels great satisfaction in being able to help individual constituents, especially when she’s their last resort.
With cost of living and housing affordability being pressing issues in her constituency, Tanya knows there is still a lot of work for her to do.
Thankfully, she also knows where to re-fuel and find inspiration!
Local Favourites Surry Hills/Darlinghurst:
Best coffee – Flour and Stone
Best meal – Bastardo, or Fontana if you are prepared to leave Darlinghurst to go to Redfern.
Must-see/do in 2025 – Qtopia – with a quick visit to the National Art School thrown in for good measure.
A Day In The Life of Tanya Plibersek's
6.00 am – Take our dogs Frankie and Robbie for a walk. Stop at Mentmore and Morley for the first coffee of the day.
7.30 am – Drive my son to school because I’ve been away in Canberra all week and I want to spoil him a bit. Stop at Flour and Stone for a ham and cheese toastie for him and another strong coffee for me.
9.00 am – It’s Women’s Health Week, so visit the Leichhardt Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain clinic to talk to doctors and nurses about the difference new Commonwealth government funding for women’s health is making. Cheaper contraceptives, IUDs, endo medicines and menopause meds.
10.00 am – Meet with constituents about a range of personal and local issues. Catch up on emails. Thank John, our volunteer accountant who has been helping low income constituents with their tax returns, as he does at “tax help” time every year.
12:00 pm - Delicious lentil and cauliflower soup from Brickfields for lunch.
2:00 pm – Visit the Older Women’s Network in Newtown to speak at their Women’s Health Week event. Wish I could stay and listen to the whole thing!!
4:00 pm – Paperwork. Paperwork. Paperwork. Writing back to constituents who have emailed me. Putting the final touches on a Cabinet submission
6:00 pm – Takeaway from Erciyes for dinner. My daughter is home from Broken Hill for the weekend, so her favourites are on high rotation.
8.00 pm – Watch my younger son play basketball.
10:00 pm – Generic moody British detective drama on Britbox and a cup of peppermint tea to unwind.
This is my real day today. The best thing about my job is the extraordinary variety. No two days are the same. My parents taught me to treat everyone I meet with respect, and one of the things I like best about my job is being able to help people at some of the most difficult times in their life.