Tanya Plibersek's 'obvious demotion' exposes rivalry with PM Anthony Albanese after environment portfolio snubbing

Sky News AU

13-05-2025

Tanya Plibersek's removal and "obvious demotion" from her post as environment minister to the social services portfolio has exposed her underlying rivalry with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Mr Albanese dumped Ms Plibersek from the environment portfolio and replaced her with former employment minister Murray Watt.
On Monday, Mr Albanese said Ms Plibersek was 'very positive about the portfolio' despite calling her previous environment post a 'really central portfolio' which was 'very much a senior role in a Labor government'.
The Prime Minister went on to encourage Mr Watt who he believed would 'do it very well'.
However, despite Mr Albanese's attempt to frame the change in a positive light, Sky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell called Ms Plibersek's shift to the Social Services gig an 'obvious demotion'.
'No matter what people or Tanya spins, it's an obvious demotion,' he told First Edition host Peter Stefanovic.
Clennell said an implication of reshuffles were the administrative orders and the machinery of government changes.
'Disability is all going to Mark Butler and Jenny McAllister. So not just NDIS, but disability,' he said.
'That was an important part of social services. So not only does (Plibersek) get social services, which is hardly a glamorous portfolio, but she'll be in charge of less.'
During Sky News Australia's coverage of the ministerial swearing in ceremony, Clennell said Ms Plibersek now had a smaller department than what former communications minister Amanda Rishworth had.
"(Plibersek) was Bill Shorten's deputy, and Shorten and Albanese were sworn enemies," Clennell said, mentioning the historic feud between the two Labor heavyweights.
The stoush between Mr Shorten and Mr Albanese has been credited a key pillar of the Prime Minister's rivalry with Ms Plibersek.
"That's where the falling out was," Clennell said.
Sky News host Laura Jayes said it appeared as though the Prime Minister had "singled out" Ms Plibersek.
On Monday, Sky News host Peta Credlin said Ms Plibersek was 'side-lined' by the Prime Minister and described the Social Services portfolio as a 'going nowhere job' unless there was a possibility of reform.
Sky News contributor Chris Uhlmann told Credlin Ms Plibersek's political career had been put "on hold" after she was dropped in one of the biggest changes to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's new cabinet.
Uhlmann said he believed Ms Plibersek's career had stalled due to her rivalry with the Prime Minister, but that it was important she still had a role on the frontbench.
"Losing your ministry is not as bad as losing your job in Parliament. As far as Tanya Plibersek is concerned, it's no secret at all, of course, that the Prime Minister and Tanya Plibersek have been rivals for a long time," he said.
"She had to stay in cabinet. She has the talent to do it. She's got the support inside the party to do it. But yes, at the moment under this Prime Minister, her career is on hold."
Sky News host Andrew Bolt said the Prime Minister was looking for stability and did nothing in "sparing Ms Plibersek's feelings" in suggesting the environment portfolio was a "top job for a top performer".
"So take that Tanya, well she did look a goose in environment, she even effectively cancelled a $1 billion gold mine after being sold a clearly ludicrous story about a sacred bee," Bolt said, referencing a dreamtime story which was a central contributor to her blocking the project.