TEN News Exclusive – Julian Assange’s father reveals his son’s entry into Australian politics.
In his first-ever television interview, Julian Assange’s father John Shipton has confirmed his son Julian will run for the Senate in the next Australian federal election.
During his interview for Julian Assange: A Ten News Special, Shipton revealed to Ten News Senior Reporter Hamish Macdonald the party will be named Julian Assange and WikiLeaks.
With the party’s constitution and policies now finalised, Assange plans to run in either New South Wales or Victoria. If he is successful, he will leave his post at WikiLeaks and return to Australia.
Assange is strongly considering running in New South Wales so he can take on federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, Bob Carr.
John Shipton told TEN: “I think Julian shows considerable skill in putting together a diplomatic sentence and would be a good opponent for Mr Carr. Mr Carr, of course, is a skilled and accomplished politician so it would be an interesting fight.”
When quizzed by Macdonald about running in Australia without claiming asylum, Shipton said: “All that you are required to have to nominate for the Senate or the House of Representatives is to be able to enrol. And to enrol, you need to be an Australian citizen, and not serving time, and to have been in Australia within in the last three years. Julian fulfils all of those.”
In regard to the future of WikiLeaks without Assange at the helm, Shipton told TEN: “WikiLeaks is a worldwide organisation and its work is worldwide… there are many people in WikiLeaks, not just Julian. Julian is the lightning rod, he takes all the heat while everyone else gets on with their work. As the demands of representing the people of NSW or Victoria required, of course, yes [he would return to Australia].”
Macdonald travels to London, Sweden and Washington and discovers dramatic new information from those at the centre of this extraordinary story.
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