After wide speculation that she’d be one of the candidates to step up to the plate, Tanya Plibersek has confirmed she will not run for the soon-to-be vacant position of Labor Party leader.
In a statement, the current deputy leader and Sydney MP confirmed that while she has support from “across the party” to take the leadership, she thinks “now is not [her] time.”
At this point I cannot reconcile the important responsibilities I have to my family with the additional responsibilities of the Labor leadership.
She confirmed that she intends to stay around as deputy leader until the new leadership is determined.
Before her announcement, a number of Labor luminaries including Bill Shorten and Julia Gillard were said to be backing Plibersek for leader.
Anthony Albanese, a fellow member of the party’s Left faction, is definitely standing. It’s not known who exactly he will be running against, though options like Chris Bowen and Joel Fitzgibbon have been floated.
Here’s Tanya’s full statement.
Tanya Plibersek declares she’s OUT but will continue as deputy until leadership determined. #auspol #ausvotes pic.twitter.com/vU6sgoUeka
— Paul Karp (@Paul_Karp) May 20, 2019
