Federal election 2022: Tanya Plibersek brushes off campaign absence speculation as a ‘storm in a teacup’

Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek has brushed off speculation about her absence from the party’s official campaign launch in Perth as a “storm in a teacup”. The Opposition’s education spokeswoman campaigned in Perth on Tuesday after she attended a Labor fundraising event in the city on Monday night, but missed Sunday’s launch at Optus Stadium. Ms Plibersek’s notable absence from the event and from Anthony Albanese’s travelling campaign over the past three weeks has raised questions about whether she had been frozen out by Labor strategists. Speaking to reporters at Landsdale Primary School, Ms Plibersek described her relationship with Mr Albanese as “terrific” and said she had known the Federal Labor leader since she was 14. She said she was invited to the campaign launch — “of course I was” — but couldn’t attend due to scheduling conflict as she had “already agreed” to represent Mr Albanese at the May Day rally in Sydney. Ms Plibersek said it was her second trip to Perth in recent weeks, that she had visited more than 20 seats during the campaign, held more than 30 press conferences and would appear with Mr Albanese later this week. Asked if her absence from the launch created a perception that she didn’t get on with Mr Albanese or was considered a leadership threat, she said: “I don’t think there’s any such perception. “I think this is a little bit of mischief from the Liberal Party and perhaps some journalists who think that it’s a quirky story, but what can I say? “I’m campaigning hard in marginal seats right across Australia for an Albanese Labor government. “I love doing that and it’s great to be able to put Labour’s policies to people who are making their minds up about whether they want three more years of Scott Morrison.” Ms Plibersek was one of the star attractions at a Labor fundraising dinner at Freshwater Bay Yacht Club on Monday night, which was sponsored by Nigel Satterley, Ernst and Young and APM. About 200 of Perth’s elite paid $1500 each to dine with Ms Plibersek, WA Premier Mark McGowan and his Cabinet, with the money going to WA ALP Party headquarters. Asked if she had the wrong priorities given she missed the campaign launch but 24 hours later was at a fundraiser in the same city, Ms Plibersek replied: “I was here campaigning yesterday in Hasluck, I’m here in Pearce campaigning today. “Honestly, I think you just ... it’s a storm in a teacup. “It’s the Federal election campaign, I’ve been campaigning in more than 20 seats in just a few weeks. “I’m not really sure why we’re talking about this rather than talking about a fantastic plan that Labor has to make sure that every kid in every school in every part of Australia gets a great education.” Ms Plibersek announced a Labor government would commit $50,000 towards an evaporative cooling system for its covered assembly area. The school is located in Pearce, which tops the list of seats that Labor must win from the Liberal Party to form government. Earlier, former Labor leader Bill Shorten batted away questions over Ms Plibersek’s absence and repeated her line that it was a “storm in a teacup”. “Sorry, Albo is threatened by Tanya. It is very, very clear,” Nine News reporter Chris O’Keefe put to Mr Shorten. “Just like you Bill were threatened by Albo back in 2019. You know how it works.”