We're in a leafy beer garden in her inner Sydney electorate. Plibersek is eating zucchini puttanesca pasta and arguing against the claim that her position, like a number of other high-profile sitting Labor MPs, is under threat from Greens candidates in the upcoming federal election.

"I think [the Greens are] doing the same as what the Right is doing. They are saying there's an easy answer, that there's a three word slogan that'll fix with this," she says.

"Governing is complex. We are a big country with a lot of opportunities and also a lot of challenges."

"The idea that you should just vote how you feel, I think it kind of misses the point."