Where’s Tanya? The one question Labor must answer straight to win

Putting the popular and likeable Tanya Plibersek on the sidelines creates the impression Labor is still playing factional games – and brings up bad memories of the Rudd-Gillard years, writes James Morrow.

A federal election is a bit like a family Christmas.

Whether you’re in a party or a family, you don’t have to all love each other.

But for everyone’s sake you should at least pretend to get along.

With the federal election less than three weeks away – and all-important pre-polling starting in just days – Labor is in danger of turning what could be their best polling day in years into a mess of dysfunction, bitterness and recrimination.

And it all has to do with rivalry and jealousy.

Tanya Plibersek campaigning to locals in Kings Cross. Picture: Darren Leigh Roberts

We are talking, of course, about Tanya Plibersek, who should be one of the stars of the Labor family but at the moment seems to be stuck down on the children’s table.

It’s getting to the point where people are noticing, and Labor is now having to explain Plibersek’s conspicuous absence from events such as the party’s big Perth love-in Sunday where Albo received the blessing of WA’s lockdown king Mark McGowan, but that’s another story.

Her leader, Anthony Albanese’s comments about her absence to the effect that “Tanya Plibersek is an outstanding member of my team and no one is working harder to elect a Labor government than Tanya Plibersek” had a very “the coach has the full support of the board” vibe to them.

Anthony Albanese is now having to explain Plibersek’s conspicuous absence.

Labor campaign spokesman Jason Clare’s comments to the Today Show on Monday, basically stating that because there were no big education announcements in the works there was no need for her to be there also rang hollow.

“The big education policies that we announced in December last year, that was free TAFE places in areas where we’ve got skill shortages, as well as 20,000 extra spots for universities, Tanya’s the shadow minister for education, I think everyone watching would know she would make a fantastic Minister for Education,” he said.

OK, sure, whatever you say.

Now there may be good reasons for this. From the very start this has a very leader-centric campaign for Labor.

Plibersek’s absence is bringing up bad memories of the Rudd-Gillard years.

Within hours of the election being called a document leaked from ALP campaign HQ saying that the entire focus would be on the Opposition Leader (a great plan until Covid hit).

But there is also no doubt that it is beginning to look like Plibersek is being sidelined because she is quite frankly seen as a threat.

Smart and personable, Plibersek should be playing a much greater role in the campaign – far greater than just making worthy announcements about TAFE.

Whatever is happening in the background, if it doesn’t look like a unified team Labor could very well wind up snatching defeat from the jaws of what polls are pointing to as a victory.

Australians have long memories and with the dreaded words “hung parliament” in the air the vibe around a competent female future leader and a behind the scenes rivalry with the man currently in the chair looking to take over after a long period in the wilderness … well, it is a bit deja vu all over again as the American baseball philosopher Yogi Berra once put it.