An interview with Margaret Simons, author of Tanya Plibersek: On Her Own Terms
In anticipation of our upcoming event discussing the recent biography of Tanya Plibersek, our community engagement and programming manager Chris Gordon asks the biographer's author, Margaret Simons, a few questions.
CG: First, thank you for your wonderful accessible writing. I know writing in plain language is a craft. (I found myself constantly compelled by your words.) When you are writing a biography are you considering who will read it? Is there anyone in particular you hope will read it? (e.g. Rudd? Howard?) Is it fun to think of? I feel Albanese will read it and could pick up a few ideas … dental care anyone?
MS: I always have the reader in mind, but rather than a particular individual I try to write for the interested Australian citizen – someone interested in politics but not necessarily super knowledgeable about it. And I try to write about policy work, and the difficulties and challenges of it, rather than only about personalities. I think most people don't appreciate what the work of a politician actually IS. I hope to make a contribution to correcting that.
CG: Why is writing a book about Tanya Plibersek important to our national conversation about leaders?
MS: I think Plibersek is an interesting model of leadership. First, she is female and we are still not used to female political leadership. Second, she is a collaborative and consultative type of leader, on a public service mould, rather than a visionary or policy wonk (although, as I say in the book, she has made important policy contributions). I think it is healthy to consider what we mean by leadership. It is more than one thing.
CG: This is the book where we learn about her personal life. How do you make decisions about what to put in and what to leave out?
MS: My guiding principle is whether the personal matter is relevant to her political job. Usually, that is relatively clear. I also take into account the subject's own attitude to disclosure. If they are against having personal material disclosed, I take that into account. Usually, the decision is pretty straightforward. There are things I know about Plibersek that are not in the book, because they were entirely to do with her personal life and nobody's business but hers. As I say in the foreword, there were some decisions that were more difficult – and that others may have made differently.
CG: I understand you have been a fan of Tanya Plibersek’s work and leadership for many years. If you had one take home message from her work, what would it be? It seems to me after reading your work, that an innate calmness has allowed her to view each of her steps carefully. Would you agree?
MS: I would mostly agree with that. It sounds like faint praise to say she is competent and well motivated. But we only have to look around the world and at or own recent history to realise just how valuable those qualities can be.
