Jump to content
 







Main menu
   


Navigation  



Main page
Contents
Current events
Random article
About Wikipedia
Contact us
Donate
 




Contribute  



Help
Learn to edit
Community portal
Recent changes
Upload file
 








Search  

































Create account

Log in
 









Create account
 Log in
 




Pages for logged out editors learn more  



Contributions
Talk
 



















Contents

   



(Top)
 


1 Early life  





2 Career  





3 Parliament  



3.1  Political views  







4 Personal life  





5 References  














Julian Leeser






مصرى
 

Edit links
 









Article
Talk
 

















Read
Edit
View history
 








Tools
   


Actions  



Read
Edit
View history
 




General  



What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Cite this page
Get shortened URL
Download QR code
Wikidata item
 




Print/export  



Download as PDF
Printable version
 




In other projects  



Wikimedia Commons
 
















Appearance
   

 






From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 


Julian Leeser
Leeser in 2020
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Berowra

Incumbent

Assumed office
2 July 2016
Preceded byPhillip Ruddock
Councillor of Woollahra Municipal Council for Bellevue Hill Ward
In office
9 September 1995 – 11 September 1999
Personal details
Born (1976-05-25) 25 May 1976 (age 48)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Political partyLiberal
Residence(s)Thornleigh, New South Wales[1]
EducationCranbrook School, Sydney
Alma materUniversity of New South Wales
OccupationSolicitor
ProfessionLawyer and politician
Websitewww.liberal.org.au/member/julian-leeser

Julian Martin Leeser (born 25 May 1976) is an Australian politician. He is a member of the Liberal Party and has represented the Division of Berowra since the 2016 federal election. He was a shadow minister under Peter Dutton from 2022 to 2023.

Early life[edit]

Leeser was born in Sydney.[2] His father John, an accountant, was the son of Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany, while his mother Sylvia is a fifth-generation Australian whose father was a survivor of the Burma Railway.[3]

Leeser attended Cranbrook School, Sydney.[4] He holds the degrees of Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) and Bachelor of Laws from the University of New South Wales.[2] He sat on Woollahra Council for Bellevue Hill Ward from 1995 to 1999 as an independent. Aged 19 at the time, he was estimated to be the youngest local councillor elected in NSW history.[5][6] In 1999 he served as a member of Prime Minister John Howard's No campaign during the republic referendum. In 2000, he was an associate to Justice Ian Callinan of the High Court of Australia.[7]

Career[edit]

Leeser worked as an adviser for Minister for Workplace Relations Tony Abbott in 2001 and for Philip Ruddock between 2004 and 2006. He worked as a solicitor for Mallesons Stephen Jaques between 2002 and 2004. In 2006 he joined the Menzies Research Centre as executive director, before becoming Director of Government Policy & Strategy at the Australian Catholic University in July 2012.[8][9]

Leeser has written several articles defending the legacy of Prime Minister William McMahon,[10][11] as well as an obituary of McMahon's wife Sonia for The Australian.[12] He authored McMahon's entry in the Australian Dictionary of Biography,[13] and as of 2016 was working on a full-length biography.[14]

Parliament[edit]

Leeser joined the Liberal Party in 1992 and served as vice-president of the Liberal Party of Australia (New South Wales Division) from 2015 to 2016.[2] In April 2016 he won Liberal preselection for the safe seatofBerowra.[15] He was elected to parliament at the 2016 federal election, succeeding the retiring Philip Ruddock in Berowra.[2] In his maiden speech he spoke of the impact of his father's suicide when he was 20 years old.[16]

After the 2019 election Leeser became chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Migration and the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Indigenous Affairs.[2]

After the 2022 election, Leeser was elevated to Peter Dutton's shadow ministry as the Shadow Attorney-General and Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians.[17][18] He resigned from shadow cabinet in April 2023 after the Liberal Party resolved to support the "No" vote at the 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum.[19]

Political views[edit]

Leeser at a Parliamentary function in Canberra, 2024

Leeser has been identified as a member of either the moderateorcentre-right faction of the Liberal Party.[20][21][22]

Leeser supports Australian recognition of West Jerusalemascapital of Israel, as implemented by the Morrison government in 2018. In October 2022, he described the Albanese government's decision to reverse the Morrison government's stance as "shambolic".[23] The following month, he and deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley travelled to Israel to "reaffirm the Coalition's commitment to West Jerusalem as the nation's capital", in a trip organised by the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council.[24]

Following the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and resulting Israel–Hamas war, Leeser called on Australia to suspend its diplomatic relations with Iran, which he said had been "deeply involved" in the attack and was a "criminal regime".[25] He subsequently announced that he would wear a kippah in federal parliament for one week as a statement against increased anti-semitism in Australia.[26] In November 2023, in response to protests in Australia against the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, Leeser called for the New South Wales state government to ban vehicle convoys from carrying Palestinian flags, stating that drivers who participate in pro-Palestinian vehicle convoys should have their licences cancelled and their vehicles impounded.[27]

Personal life[edit]

Leeser is married to Joanna Davidson and has two children; James, born in 2018 and Ruth, born in 2022. He lives with his family in Thornleigh.[18][28] Leeser is the first Jewish Liberal member of the House of Representatives from New South Wales and a member of the Emanuel Synagogue in Woollahra.[29]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Meet Julian – Julian Leeser".
  • ^ a b c d e "Mr Julian Leeser MP". Senators and Members of the Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  • ^ "Maiden speech". Hansard. Parliament of Australia. 14 September 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  • ^ Hare, Julie (22 April 2021). "Atlassian founder's Cranbrook co-ed push finds support". The Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  • ^ Wainwright, Robert (11 September 1995). "Red tape worry inspired youngest councillor". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 4.
  • ^ Liberal candidate Julian Leeser follows in the footsteps of neighbour and political giant Philip Ruddock. Retrieved 3 July 2016
  • ^ "Julian Leeser Wins Liberal Preselection For Berowra; Succeeds Philip Ruddock | AustralianPolitics.com". australianpolitics.com. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  • ^ Julian Leeser Archived 22 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Mercy Health
  • ^ Julian Lesser to head government relations at ACU Australian Catholic University August 2012
  • ^ Julia has nothing on Billy, The Spectator, 11 February 2012. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
  • ^ How McMahon was beaten by Whitlam and the Coalition, The Sydney Morning Herald, 1 January 2003. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
  • ^ Gracious, stylish and steadfast, The Australian, 5 April 2010. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
  • ^ McMahon, Sir William (Billy) (1908–1988), Australian Dictionary of Biography, 2012.
  • ^ ABC Guide to the Federal Election 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
  • ^ Federal election 2016: Julian Leeser wins Liberal Party preselection for seat of Berowra Hills News 18 April 2016
  • ^ Henderson, Anna (14 September 2016). "Liberal MP Julian Leeser devotes maiden speech to the memory of his dad, who took his own life". ABC News. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  • ^ Doran, Matthew (5 June 2022). "Opposition Leader Peter Dutton unveils new shadow ministry, demoting two of Scott Morrison's lieutenants". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  • ^ a b "About Julian Leeser". Julian Leeser MP. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  • ^ "'I believe the time for the Voice has come': Leeser resigns from opposition frontbench". 11 April 2023.
  • ^ Clark, Andrew (24 July 2017). "Fear and loathing in the NSW Liberal Party after democratic plebiscite push". The Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  • ^ Massola, James (20 March 2021). "Who's who in the Liberals' left, right and centre factions?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  • ^ Massola, James. "How Morrison's shattering defeat gave Dutton a seismic shift in factional power". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  • ^ Dziedzic, Stephen (18 October 2022). "Labor reverses decision to recognise West Jerusalem as Israel capital". ABC News. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  • ^ Hurst, Daniel (3 November 2022). "US group campaigning against Australia's reversal of recognition of West Jerusalem as Israeli capital". Guardian Australia. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  • ^ Narunsky, Gareth (9 October 2023). "Federal MP Julian Leeser takes aim at Iran". Australian Jewish News. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  • ^ Knott, Matthew (17 November 2023). "'It's off the charts': how antisemitism surged after October 7". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  • ^ Burke, Helena (18 November 2023). "NSW government rejects federal MP Julian Leeser's call for ban on 'anti-Semitic' car convoys". ABC News. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  • ^ "New baby bliss for the Leeser family". The Post. 1 April 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  • ^ Zlatkis, Evan (15 September 2016). "Leeser: 'I draw strength from my faith'". Australian Jewish News. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  • Non-profit organization positions
    Preceded by

    Jason Bryant

    Executive Director of Menzies Research Centre
    2006–2012
    Succeeded by

    Professor Donald Markwell

    Parliament of Australia
    Preceded by

    Philip Ruddock

    Member for Berowra
    2016–present
    Succeeded by

    Incumbent


    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Julian_Leeser&oldid=1224221149"

    Categories: 
    Living people
    Academic staff of the Australian Catholic University
    Municipality of Woollahra
    New South Wales local councillors
    Australian monarchists
    Australian solicitors
    Jewish Australian politicians
    Lawyers from Sydney
    Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia
    Members of the Australian House of Representatives
    Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Berowra
    People from the North Shore, Sydney
    Politicians from Sydney
    University of New South Wales alumni
    University of New South Wales Law School alumni
    1976 births
    21st-century Australian politicians
    People educated at Cranbrook School, Sydney
    Hidden categories: 
    Webarchive template wayback links
    Articles with short description
    Short description matches Wikidata
    Use dmy dates from March 2019
    Use Australian English from July 2016
    All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English
    Template:Succession box: 'after' parameter includes the word 'incumbent'
    S-aft: 'after' parameter includes the word 'incumbent'
     



    This page was last edited on 17 May 2024, at 00:22 (UTC).

    Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.



    Privacy policy

    About Wikipedia

    Disclaimers

    Contact Wikipedia

    Code of Conduct

    Developers

    Statistics

    Cookie statement

    Mobile view



    Wikimedia Foundation
    Powered by MediaWiki