Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The media have dubbed Julian Assange the most famous political prisoner in the world. He is, for all intents and purposes, a political prisoner. The charge of espionage that has been brought against him is a political charge. So it was very disappointing to hear the Labor Party in here today rolling out the same lines they've been rolling out for the last 18 months, saying that they can't intervene because of legal proceedings. I want to note, and I want the Senate to understand, that they have consistently, and rightly, intervened to get Australians out of political prisoner situations. Many famous names come to mind. Why is it that they won't do the same for Julian Assange?

When his wonderful and inspirational wife, Stella Assange, visited Australia a few months ago, there were high hopes that maybe we were close to a deal to get Julian out of imprisonment and see him freed. I have no doubt that Secretary Blinken's comments last weekend were strategically designed to smash any hopes of any deal with this government.

I want to say to all the supporters of Julian Assange out there—his family, including his brother Gabriel, here today—and to Julian, who will be watching this debate, that is not going to happen. There are 30 MPs in this parliament in the Parliamentary Friends of the Bring Julian Assange Home Group who will not give up. There are millions of Australians who support Julian Assange who will not give up. We are not going to stop the campaign to have him freed. So, sorry, Secretary Blinken, your propaganda and your downright lies at that press conference will not cut it.

Let me tell you why it was propaganda. Julian Assange is being tried because of the rules of engagement disclosures. That's what Secretary Blinken refers to in his statement, that Julian Assange was charged with very sensitive criminal conduct in the United States in connection to his alleged role in one of the biggest compromises of classified information in the history of this country. As Senator Shoebridge pointed out, Private Bradley Manning—now Chelsea Manning—was charged, convicted and pardoned.

Julian Assange was a publisher, a journalist. Those rules of engagement files were published by media outlets right around the world. To remind the Senate, Julian Assange and Wikileaks got a Walkley Award in this country for the rules of disclosure leaks and the public interest stories that came out of that. So why is he a political prisoner and why is he being politically persecuted? I have no doubt because it is deeply personal. There are some very powerful people in this world as well as intelligence agencies who fear nothing more than disclosure. Why is he being politically persecuted? He's being persecuted because this is an attack on press freedoms. The message they are sending is: if you disclose our lies, our corruption and our war crimes, we will come after you with the full power of our state and we will do everything we possibly can to crush you. That's the message they are sending. That is why they are not giving up on Julian Assange. Are we going to let that stand? No, we are not going to let that stand.

We recently had the 20-year commemoration of the Iraq War. I agree with Senator Rennick. I cannot think of a darker period of history, certainly while I have been alive. Isn't it ironic, with the millions of people who perished in that conflict right across the Middle East, the instability, the civil war in Syria, the rise of ISIS, more global terrorism, that no-one who instigated that illegal, immoral war has been brought to justice? But the great truth-teller of that war, along with Chelsea Manning, Julian Assange, sits behind bars waiting 175 years of virtual death sentence. Are we going to let that stand? This is the Australian parliament. Julian Assange is an Australian citizen. It is un-Australian for us to turn our back on a mate, and we won't do it. We will keep campaigning to bring him home. (Time expired)