A split is emerging within Coalition ranks over the future of Australia’s universities after Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie declared the only way to fix higher education was to “break it”.
Senator McKenzie accused universities of indoctrinating students and entrenching a left-wing world view among future judges, politicians, teachers and other decision-makers during a speech to the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship conference in London.
She said the higher education sector had become so resistant to change that its institutions might no longer be worth preserving.
“My firm belief now is that the only way to fix higher education is to break it,” she said.
Senator McKenzie was a lecturer in education before entering parliament.
She’s suggesting student teachers are being immersed in ideas of “white guilt, victimhood, climate catastrophism or even antisemitism”, which she argues is being carried into classrooms.
Her intervention is exposing differing views within the Coalition over how far the opposition should go in confronting universities over ideology and campus culture.
Nationals leader Matt Canavan is echoing concerns about ideological activism on campus but stopped short of backing McKenzie’s call for drastic intervention.
“We don’t have particular plans to penalise universities,” Canavan said, suggesting McKenzie’s comments did not reflect a settled opposition policy.
Senator Canavan argues not enough has been done to protect free speech and ensure students were able to go about their studies without intimidation.
“I am concerned about some of the ideological perspectives that are both being taught at universities, but even worse, some that are being allowed to continue without any restraint,” he said.
Senator Canavan said there “were some very extreme views expressed on university campuses” after the October 7, 2023 terror attacks in Israel, and “there were attempts to prevent other students from going about their business”.
Independent ACT senator David Pocock is criticising Senator McKenzie’s approach, saying that it seeks to influence what is taught within higher education institutions.
“I’m really wary of the sort of Trumpian reach into universities where politicians, governments, start telling universities what they can and can’t teach,” Mr Pocock said.
He also asked why Senator McKenzie had made the comments from overseas while parliament was sitting in Canberra.
Politicians and leading conservative thinkers are speaking at the ARC conference in London this week.
Around 4,000 people from more than 85 countries are expected to attend the annual summit of the organisation co-founded by Jordan Peterson.
“They’ve got to explain that to their constituents, the people that send them here to Canberra to debate really important things and to ensure that one, they’re advocating for their state and territory in the senate and ultimately voting on their behalf,” Mr Pocock said.
The independent senator argues he has different priorities.
“My focus has been on how do we ensure that universities have the right governance structures so they can actually get on with the research, with the teaching that Australians want and that we need for the future,” Mr Pocock said.
The exchange underscores a broader political argument over the role of universities.
Conservatives are increasingly accusing campuses of being sites of ideological activism, while progressives warn against political interference.