Julian Assange to run for Senate

Julian Assange to run for Senate

www.abc.net.au

WikiLeaks has announced that its founder and leader Julian Assange is planning to run for a seat in the Australian Senate.

WikiLeaks says despite his legal predicament, Assange is eligible to run for the Australian Upper House.

In its announcement on Twitter, WikiLeaks said it would also be running a candidate against Prime Minister Julia Gillard in her Lower House Victorian seat of Labor.

(visit the link for the full news article)

This is quite interesting, but i feel that they are looking to far into the future. Assange still needs to break free from the trouble he is in overseas. But i feel that it would make an interesting scenario if he were to go ahead with this plan. What are the ATSers opinions regarding this whole ordeal?

www.abc.net.au
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by daaskapital
Wont he have Diplomatic Immunity at that point?? If he Wins I mean??

Can;t really see a downside to this. More power too him.

reply to post by hoochymama


No - being a Senator is not the same as being a diplomat.

However if he was part of an official delegation from Australia to anywhere then he would - in that case he would be acting as a representative of Australia and so would get it while doing so.

Originally posted by daaskapital


This is quite interesting, but i feel that they are looking to far into the future. Assange still needs to break free from the trouble he is in overseas. But i feel that it would make an interesting scenario if he were to go ahead with this plan. What are the ATSers opinions regarding this whole ordeal?

www.abc.net.au
(visit the link for the full news article)

An interesting scenario to say the least. However I think it would do more harm than good simply because of Assange's stance towards releasing classified information. Becoming a Senator carries with it responsibilities to the people of Austrailia and I dont see Assange honoring that position to be honest.

As a Senator he would certainly have access to information / material of a sensative nature. Is Assnage willing to put his personal stance aside and refrain from releasing / leaking / discussing information that is protected?

Leaking info in the position he is in now at least offers him a little (and I mean very little) protection in terms of public opinion. Pulling the same stunts as a Senator will for sure run him afoul of all sorts of Austrailian Domestic Laws that he will not be able to get out of.should he violate them.

reply to post by daaskapital


I am more interested in what Australians think of him...?

vote #1 assange!

it would be cool to have someone who believes in free speech run a country, pity TPTB would ruin him before he had a chance. Free speech doesnt exist anymore, it died the day JFK did.

reply to post by tooo many pills
Probably how the French thought of Polanski.

, this has made my day

It would put America on the back foot in their attempts to extradite him to the US, still not impossible but a lot more scrutiny, review and debate will be placed on the issue. I do consider our courts will find it very difficult to go through with an extradition due to the precedent it will set if Julian does make senator as no Australian laws have been broken and Bradley Manning has already taken the fall for cablegate.

Julian is very much in the same league as Nick Xenophon and has a really good chance at getting in with his public profile. Voter fraud does not appear to be as bad here compared to the US as we still use paper ballots. The issue of preferences would be the main challenge for Julian, but with enough public support can be overcome.

I expect there would be a few concerned people for Julian to get parliamentary privilege, as he could raise any issue he wants without fear of legal retribution. He does get my vote as someone who has put it all on the line to try and overcome this quagmire of BS infecting the world.

Originally posted by kwakakev

, this has made my day

It would put America on the back foot in their attempts to extradite him to the US, still not impossible but a lot more scrutiny, review and debate will be placed on the issue. I do consider our courts will find it very difficult to go through with an extradition due to the precedent it will set if Julian does make senator as no Australian laws have been broken and Bradley Manning has already taken the fall for cablegate.

Julian is very much in the same league as Nick Xenophon and has a really good chance at getting in with his public profile. Voter fraud does not appear to be as bad here compared to the US as we still use paper ballots. The issue of preferences would be the main challenge for Julian, but with enough public support can be overcome.

I expect there would be a few concerned people for Julian to get parliamentary privilege, as he could raise any issue he wants without fear of legal retribution. He does get my vote as someone who has put it all on the line to try and overcome this quagmire of BS infecting the world.

Could he be elected before he is extradited and what of his current legal troubles? If Australian communications are leaked after he is elected, what will the Aussies do to him? Will the voters see him as a self-serving individual desperate for celebrity or will they believe the "truth loving" image he has tried to maintain?

I am more interested in what Australians think of him...?

I would vote for him; but at this point in Australian politics, given the current options i would also vote for Krusty the Clown.

reply to post by kwakakev


The US has not nor has ever tried to extradite Assange. Aside from the rumors of a sealed indictment, there is nothing that shows charges will be brought against him (much to my irritation).

reply to post by pteridine

Could he be elected before he is extradited and what of his current legal troubles?

If he is not extradited before getting into office, then odds on that he will not be extradited. It is a complex and messy situation and anything could happen.

If Australian communications are leaked after he is elected, what will the Aussies do to him?

I am not fully sure of the procedures for removal of a senator. I know the Governor General has the power to remove the Prime Minister, so could potentially also kick out a senator if they start rocking the boat too much. The Governor General is a representative for the Queen of England. As for the public they will just have to wait until the next election and not vote for him again. Then there is all the other dirty tricks campaigns that go on, but it looks like Julian has already had a few lessons here.

Will the voters see him as a self-serving individual desperate for celebrity or will they believe the "truth loving" image he has tried to maintain?

As with everyone, there are different opinions, ideas and values going on. Overall, if I was Julia Gillard, I would be worried about the competition, especially with the recent leadership confrontations going on. She does have the support of the party, but not the public.

reply to post by hoochymama


thats what i was thinking. its a clever defense. i would vote for him.

Originally posted by Xcathdra
An interesting scenario to say the least. However I think it would do more harm than good simply because of Assange's stance towards releasing classified information. Becoming a Senator carries with it responsibilities to the people of Austrailia and I dont see Assange honoring that position to be honest.

Secrecy isn't fundamentally a good thing, Xcathdra. I came to realise that my initial assessment of you was wrong, and I now believe that you have positive intentions, but we have to disagree on this. I'm also aware that your response is probably going to be to cite saving people's lives in wartime situations, etc; but that is the justification which psychopaths use to keep a lot of things secret that don't need to be. In those cases the real reason for the secrecy is to protect themselves from accountability to the public.

I consider Julian Assange a brother anarchist, and value the sacrifices that he has made. I am aware of, and somewhat repelled by, his degree of arrogance, yes, but he is a grey hat hacker; and in their case, a God complex generally goes with the territory.

Oh. Australian senate. So it doesn't count as a real position. A whole continent that no one takes seriously. Dirty kangaroo chuckers.

All joking aside, would anyone actually want Assange in a position of authority? While I sort of appreciate what he has done, I don't think a leaker should be in govt. office. Flame away, but there are some things that need to be kept hush hush. Its a bit sad that someone rallying behind transparency seems unfit for govt. office...

He would never be trusted, never taken seriously. If anything his place in politics would drive the truth farther away.

He'll get my vote for sure.

reply to post by Xcathdra

How can releasing information to the public do us harm. They're our bloody governments and it's our bloody information!

I'll vote for him.

Not sure if he has a change. He would be the Ron Paul of Australia. That wikileaks party idea however seems nice. We already have pirate party here and in Sweden. Afaik they don't have that in Australia.