Liberal frontbencher Julian Leeser has a lot on his plate.

As shadow education minister, he’s managing the opposition’s response to the government’s overhaul of universities, a vital sector he says is facing “a loss of confidence”. As spokesman on Indigenous Australians, Leeser – who supported the Voice to parliament last term – is looking for a “new direction” in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs.

He’s also the opposition’s leading Jewish voice and will soon appear at the royal commission on antisemitism to talk about the “explosion” in hate against Jewish Australians – and what more should be done about it.

Leeser joins the podcast to talk about these issues, as well as the parlous state of the Liberal Party.

After having previously worked as the Australian Catholic University’s director of government policy and strategy, Leeser said only a decade ago universities were a “growing, confident part of Australia”. But that’s changed:

I think there’s a lack of confidence in higher education at the moment. When I went to the University Australia conference, the universities themselves are talking about issues around their social licence to operate. You’ve had the antisemitism crisis that’s been on campus, you’ve had issues around [artificial intelligence] and cheating factories. You’ve issues around foreign interference on our campuses. And I think there’s a loss of confidence that the broader public has in the sector. But I think it’s also a loss of confidence within the sector itself.

I think there’s a lack of confidence in higher education at the moment. When I went to the University Australia conference, the universities themselves are talking about issues around their social licence to operate.

You’ve had the antisemitism crisis that’s been on campus, you’ve had issues around [artificial intelligence] and cheating factories. You’ve issues around foreign interference on our campuses. And I think there’s a loss of confidence that the broader public has in the sector. But I think it’s also a loss of confidence within the sector itself.

On fighting foreign intimidation

After Australian security officials concluded the Iranian government directed at least two antisemitic........

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