'Rivals for a long time': Chris Uhlmann suggests Tanya Plibersek's career 'on hold' after being dropped from senior ministry

Sky News AU

12-05-2025

The political career of Tanya Plibersek has been put "on hold", according to Sky News contributor Chris Uhlmann, after she was dropped in one of the biggest changes to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's new cabinet.
Mr Albanese revealed his new ministry on Monday afternoon following his election win, with the frontbench largely remaining the same.
It includes Michelle Rowland after her promotion to Attorney-General, Health Minister Mark Butler, who will also take on the NDIS following Bill Shorten's retirement from politics, Amanda Rishworth, who moves to Employment and Workplace Relations, and Anika Wells, who moves to Communications.
The top six ministers will remain—Richard Marles in Defence, Penny Wong in Foreign Affairs, Jim Chalmers as Treasurer, Katy Gallagher in Finance and Don Farrell in Trade.
Ms Plibersek, though, was relegated from Environment Minister to Social Services, with Murray Watt moving from Workplace Relations to take on her role.
Uhlmann said he believed Ms Plibersek's career had stalled working within the Albanese government due to her rivalry with the Prime Minister, but that it was important she still had a role in parliament.
"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 told Peta Credlin on Monday.
"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."
There have been long-running rumours of tension between Ms Plibersek and Mr Albanese over internal Labor Party struggles.
The disconnect caught the public eye at Labor's campaign launch in Perth last month, when Ms Plibersek went in for a hug while Mr Albanese extended his arm for a hand shake.
Uhlmann also took aim at the outgoing Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic, blasting him for launching a fiery verbal spray against deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and labelling his conduct ungrateful.
Both Mr Husic and former attorney-general Mark Dreyfus were unceremoniously dumped from the cabinet due to an overrepresentation of the New South Wales right faction, with Mr Marles reportedly instrumental in the axing of both figures.
The Sky News contributor said he was 'surprised' about the way Ed Husic dealt with his demotion at the hands of the Victorian and NSW right factions and criticised him for 'throwing all the toys out of the cot, which he clearly did'.
The ousted minister claimed his outspoken criticism of the Albanese government's handling of the Gaza war cost him his cabinet position and explosively branded Mr Marles a 'factional assassin'.
Uhlmann said Mr Husic's outspoken appearance on Insiders and getting former prime minister Paul Keating to "write in his favour" would significantly reduce his chances of future ministerial aspirations.
'If Ed Husic wanted a long stay in the party and a top job in the future, then I think he's put his cause back with the way he's behaved and he should think of all the people who lost their jobs and lost their place in Parliament," he said.
'He should probably look at the way that Keith Wolahan dealt with the way that he left Parliament, with real dignity and grace, and I think that there are a lot of people hurting at the moment. Losing your ministry is not as bad as losing your job in Parliament."
Turning his attention to the fresh additions in Mr Albanese's new look front bench, Uhlmann lauded the elevation of second term MP for the Sydney seat of Parramatta, Andrew Charlton, and third term MP for the Melbourne seat of Fraser, Daniel Mulino.
'Andrew Charlton's credentials speak for themselves," Uhlmann said, referring to Mr Charlton's tenure as senior economic advisor to former prime minister Kevin Rudd, with the MP now set to replace Mark Dreyfus as cabinet secretary.
'Dan Mulino, I do know well and is a really decent man, a highly intelligent one.
'He's an intellectual powerhouse, a really decent man and can I say, by the way, as he stood for a couple of weeks on pre-poll, he was subjected to the same abuse that a lot of Labor right candidates were subjected to by volunteers from the Socialist Alliance, Muslim votes, and the Greens."
Mr Mulino will be promoted directly from the backbench as part of a factional arrangement and will serve as Asistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services.