Andrew Wilkie (Clark, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, a great many Australians would have been thrilled by the House of Representatives, including you and your government, voting yesterday in favour of my motion stressing the importance of bringing the Julian Assange matter to a close so he can come home to his family. Prime Minister, what is the significance of this?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Clark for his question and for his genuine engagement over a considerable period of time on this issue, which is of concern to so many Australians.

We supported the motion yesterday because it is the right thing to do. I have spoken and conducted myself in the same way as Prime Minister as I did as Leader of the Opposition in advocating on behalf of the view that I believe Australians hold. Across the chamber—including some members of the National Party and Liberal Party over a period of time, crossbenchers, the minor parties and, of course, members of the Australian Labor Party—people would have a range of views about the merits of Mr Julian Assange's actions. They have come to the common view—a view that has also been put by the Leader of the Opposition—that enough is enough and that it is time for this to be brought to a close.

From the very first occasions where I had an opportunity as Prime Minister, I have raised this issue at the highest levels with the United States and with the United Kingdom—with people at the highest levels and throughout the structures. It has been raised by our diplomats as well, including the ambassador to the United States and the high commissioner to the United Kingdom, who has visited Mr Assange in prison as well, to check on his welfare.

People will have a range of views about Mr Assange's conduct. You and I mightn't agree, frankly, on the nature of that conduct. But, regardless of where people stand, this thing cannot go on and on and on indefinitely.

The Australian government, in my view, always has a responsibility to make representations to governments, as we have for Cheng Lei, for example, in China, and as we have with the range of people who find themselves in difficulty—with successes, it must be said, also in Vietnam and Myanmar in recent times. It is important that we have a calibrated and deliberate approach to this engagement. We are continuing to do that, including the discussions that have taken place over a considerable period of time with Mr Assange's lawyers. But the resolution is important. I congratulate the member on bringing that resolution before this parliament, because it's important to send that message. In the coming days, there'll be a critical period as well. I hope this can be resolved. I hope it can be resolved amicably. It's not up to Australia to interfere in the legal processes of other countries, but it is appropriate for us to put our very strong view that those countries need to take into account the need for this to be concluded.