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Julian Assange makes final election preparations from his London bunker Julian Assange makes final election preparations from his London bunker
(12 days later)
Today Julian Assange is putting the final touches to an election campaign that has involved a lot of social media, a few virtual town hall meetings and a music video that required him to don a blonde mullet and lip-synch to a rewritten version of John Farnham's great Australian activist anthem, You're the Voice.Today Julian Assange is putting the final touches to an election campaign that has involved a lot of social media, a few virtual town hall meetings and a music video that required him to don a blonde mullet and lip-synch to a rewritten version of John Farnham's great Australian activist anthem, You're the Voice.
But will he make history tomorrow by winning a Victorian Senate seat from his campaign bunker in the Ecuadorian embassy in London?But will he make history tomorrow by winning a Victorian Senate seat from his campaign bunker in the Ecuadorian embassy in London?
Assange is a "wild card", according to poll-watcher William Bowe – who writes the Poll Bludger blog for Crikey – but he does have an outside chance of winning the sixth Senate spot, despite the strength of the Greens vote in Victoria.Assange is a "wild card", according to poll-watcher William Bowe – who writes the Poll Bludger blog for Crikey – but he does have an outside chance of winning the sixth Senate spot, despite the strength of the Greens vote in Victoria.
"Assange's capacity to drain anti-establishment votes away from the Greens remains an imponderable that opinion polling is not well placed to measure," says Bowe. "And he could potentially draw preferences from the Sex party, the Pirate party, two drug law reform parties and, less intuitively, Family First.""Assange's capacity to drain anti-establishment votes away from the Greens remains an imponderable that opinion polling is not well placed to measure," says Bowe. "And he could potentially draw preferences from the Sex party, the Pirate party, two drug law reform parties and, less intuitively, Family First."
But there's no doubt that the WikiLeaks party's recent preferencing scandal has put a dent in the party's support base across the country.But there's no doubt that the WikiLeaks party's recent preferencing scandal has put a dent in the party's support base across the country.
Assange heads the Senate ticket in Victoria, but the party is also running candidates in New South Wales and Western Australia. Lawyer and human rights activist Kellie Tranter, who leads the ticket in NSW, and WA's lead candidate, researcher Gerry Georgatos, were both involved in a controversial last-minute decision to put right-wing parties ahead of the Greens on the WikiLeaks party's Senate group voting tickets in those two states.Assange heads the Senate ticket in Victoria, but the party is also running candidates in New South Wales and Western Australia. Lawyer and human rights activist Kellie Tranter, who leads the ticket in NSW, and WA's lead candidate, researcher Gerry Georgatos, were both involved in a controversial last-minute decision to put right-wing parties ahead of the Greens on the WikiLeaks party's Senate group voting tickets in those two states.
The decision, which was not endorsed by the party's national council, was explained away as an "administrative error" – but insiders claim the process was deliberately thwarted.The decision, which was not endorsed by the party's national council, was explained away as an "administrative error" – but insiders claim the process was deliberately thwarted.
The party's second Victorian Senate candidate, ethicist Dr Leslie Cannold, accused members of the party leadership of undermining their own democratic process and resigned.The party's second Victorian Senate candidate, ethicist Dr Leslie Cannold, accused members of the party leadership of undermining their own democratic process and resigned.
"To keep being a candidate feels like I'm breaking faith with the Australian people," she wrote in her resignation letter on 21 August."To keep being a candidate feels like I'm breaking faith with the Australian people," she wrote in her resignation letter on 21 August.
"By being in this role I am implicitly making a statement that the WikiLeaks party is what it claims to be: a democratically run party that both believes in transparency and accountability, and operates in this way … I am implicitly vouching for the worthiness of this party to receive the votes of the Australian people. I can no longer do this because I no longer believe it is true.""By being in this role I am implicitly making a statement that the WikiLeaks party is what it claims to be: a democratically run party that both believes in transparency and accountability, and operates in this way … I am implicitly vouching for the worthiness of this party to receive the votes of the Australian people. I can no longer do this because I no longer believe it is true."
Several key campaign staff followed Cannold's lead, including Melbourne campaign staffer Sam Castro, who wrote on Facebook on 25 August: "I will not be part of a group unable to walk the talk, as I do not wish to replicate a dying paradigm, the movement deserves better and we need a new body politic."Several key campaign staff followed Cannold's lead, including Melbourne campaign staffer Sam Castro, who wrote on Facebook on 25 August: "I will not be part of a group unable to walk the talk, as I do not wish to replicate a dying paradigm, the movement deserves better and we need a new body politic."
For a party running on a platform of "truthfulness and the free flow of information", it was not a good look. Assange blamed himself, saying he had overdelegated because he was "trying to save the life of a young man" – NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.For a party running on a platform of "truthfulness and the free flow of information", it was not a good look. Assange blamed himself, saying he had overdelegated because he was "trying to save the life of a young man" – NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.
Fairfax journalist Philip Dorling, who has close access to Assange, defended the preference decision this week, saying: "Assange has been consistent in presenting himself as a libertarian and has repeatedly said that the WikiLeaks party was never intended to be a stalking horse delivering Senate preferences for the Greens."Fairfax journalist Philip Dorling, who has close access to Assange, defended the preference decision this week, saying: "Assange has been consistent in presenting himself as a libertarian and has repeatedly said that the WikiLeaks party was never intended to be a stalking horse delivering Senate preferences for the Greens."
But despite Assange's insistence that his politics do not fit neatly into left or right brackets, it is clear that many of his Australian supporters have a bent towards social justice and identify with the political left.But despite Assange's insistence that his politics do not fit neatly into left or right brackets, it is clear that many of his Australian supporters have a bent towards social justice and identify with the political left.
The party's preferencing of the Nationals ahead of the Greens in Western Australia – where Greens Senator Scott Ludlam, who has done more for Assange's cause than any other Australian parliamentarian, is fighting for his seat – was seen as a gross betrayal.The party's preferencing of the Nationals ahead of the Greens in Western Australia – where Greens Senator Scott Ludlam, who has done more for Assange's cause than any other Australian parliamentarian, is fighting for his seat – was seen as a gross betrayal.
In NSW, WikiLeaks put the Greens behind the quasi-fascist Australia First and the powerful Shooters and Fishers – no doubt hoping to capitalise on the latter party's significant base in NSW, where they have used a balance of power in the NSW state parliament to campaign for policies such as shooting in national parks.In NSW, WikiLeaks put the Greens behind the quasi-fascist Australia First and the powerful Shooters and Fishers – no doubt hoping to capitalise on the latter party's significant base in NSW, where they have used a balance of power in the NSW state parliament to campaign for policies such as shooting in national parks.
The Shooters and Fishers reportedly paid self-styled consultant Glenn Druery to negotiate a "preference harvesting" scheme with other minor parties.The Shooters and Fishers reportedly paid self-styled consultant Glenn Druery to negotiate a "preference harvesting" scheme with other minor parties.
If Assange wins a seat tomorrow he will have 10 months to secure passage to Australia to take up his parliamentary responsibilities on 1 July.If Assange wins a seat tomorrow he will have 10 months to secure passage to Australia to take up his parliamentary responsibilities on 1 July.
If he's unable to do that – and neither of the major parties support his bid to avoid fronting up to questioning over rape allegations in Sweden – then the spot will be filled by his running mate, Melbourne academic Binoy Kampmark.If he's unable to do that – and neither of the major parties support his bid to avoid fronting up to questioning over rape allegations in Sweden – then the spot will be filled by his running mate, Melbourne academic Binoy Kampmark.
Assange says that Kampmark would not necessarily be kicked out of the seat if he is able to return to Australia at a later date. He told ABC Radio on Friday: "He'd be keeping it warm [but] I wouldn't want to be in a position where Dr Kampmark was really turning out to be an excellent senator then I would come back and demand to knock him off.Assange says that Kampmark would not necessarily be kicked out of the seat if he is able to return to Australia at a later date. He told ABC Radio on Friday: "He'd be keeping it warm [but] I wouldn't want to be in a position where Dr Kampmark was really turning out to be an excellent senator then I would come back and demand to knock him off.
"We're a team, so we would see what the performance was in the Senate. If it was viewed that I would be a stronger performer in the Senate then I assume he would be happy to hand the seat over.""We're a team, so we would see what the performance was in the Senate. If it was viewed that I would be a stronger performer in the Senate then I assume he would be happy to hand the seat over."
However, if the WikiLeaks founder loses his gamble to enter the Australian parliament from afar, he will also have lost a number of long-term Australian supporters in his campaign to get out of the Ecuadorian embassy and avoid extradition to the United States – by far the bigger prize for Assange.However, if the WikiLeaks founder loses his gamble to enter the Australian parliament from afar, he will also have lost a number of long-term Australian supporters in his campaign to get out of the Ecuadorian embassy and avoid extradition to the United States – by far the bigger prize for Assange.
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