Julian Assange to run for Australian Senate

Summary: Weak <i>my mom says I'm cool</i> hit-piece by AAP, Australian Associated Press.<p>AAP is 90% owned by News Ltd and Fairfax, the two major publishers in the country, who promote it as a national organization but have a <i>massive</i> commercial interest in the media status quo. The media status quo is threatened by Assange, who has been extremely vocal about the failures of journalism and would presumably seek to re-regulate this area to encourage alternative media.<p>As mass media is a strong ally of big business and established political groups, he fights <i>really tremendously big economic and political forces</i> (his words, <i>Cypherpunks</i>, 2012).<p>I for one wish him the best of luck. It's time to move over, old guard. Let's get some socially and technically-informed discussion back in to Australian politics before it gets any more irrelevant.

Nice idea. Become a Senator and try for diplomatic immunity. Walk out of the Ecuadorian Embassy and wave goodbye to the police who have been waiting for him for the last umpteen months.<p>The legal wrangling could become quite complicated if he succeeded. If the voters in Oz realise how annoyed the UK government would be if he did this then that would help his odds even more.<p>For US residents I'll point out that Senate spots in Australia are won using a state based proportional system with multiple Senators for each of our 6 states and 2 territories. This means that independent and minority groups can often get 1 or 2 Senators into the upper house.

I think focussing on the Senate run as an effort to avoid extradition is missing the point.<p>It's two things. One is to actually try and do some good via a spot in the Senate. Cynicism might tell you that's not right/too simple. Ignore that feeling. Some people do actually have ideals.<p>Secondly, it's a bit of good old shit-stirring. Certainly something we need in Australian politics.

So far as I can make out ... he can't stand.<p>Australian Constitution, s16: "The qualification of a senator shall be the same as those of a member of the House of Representatives."<p>s34(i): "... must be an elector entitled to vote at the election of members of the House of Representatives, or a person qualified to become such an elector ..."<p>Australians are allowed to be overseas electors only if they intend to return to Australia within 6 years.<p>I don't think a court could reasonably conclude that Assange's intention to return would be a serious intention, given that he is going to be under an effectively indefinite house arrest.<p>Even if he did get elected, he would eventually be evicted for failing to attend sittings.<p>(Of course, I am not a lawyer or an electoral commissioner).

Maybe he should join forces with the Australian Pirate Party (<a href="http://pirateparty.org.au/" rel="nofollow">http://pirateparty.org.au/</a>) - they have some similar views.

Assange announced this in early 2012, then again late in 2012 and then again today to co-incide with the announcement of Australia's September 14 election. So yes, by all means, let's give the same piece of news coverage for a a THIRD TIME. There's VALUE in that aggregation.

If for anything, I hope he wins so he can go back outside, and live a decent life.

...from his self-imposed prison, while facing as-yet-unanswered rape allegations? (FYI I have no idea if he's guilty, would probably want a court to examine it before I come to a conclusion.) how does he plan to even get to Australia to take up the seat if (by some miracle) he wins?!

i'm a green voter but i'd vote for assange in the senate - because he at least stands up for what he believes should be said. the other two main parties in oz are competing with each other to attract the swinging 20% that will give them the election. so they do not care about their electoral base (don't forget we have compulsory voting here, and long may it reign - none of that attracting younger voters crap we had to endure in the UK in 2004). btw, i believe from what i've read that the charges against assange in sweden are trumped up. the US has put pressure on sweden to deliver another 'example' of how powerful they are.

I'd almost respect this effort more if it were part of a plan to get diplomatic immunity, as suggested by others. But otherwise, this should spell the end of Assange as a "folk hero" in some corners of the digital world. I suspect that he could accomplish much more in his Wikileaks capacity than he ever could as a politician.

I'm not sure how well this'll work for him. He's made an enemy out of most people. I expect it'd be an even harder job for him than most.

Don't Australia have extradition treaty agreements with the U.S.?

I doubt he would actually get into senate, the ranks and file,would just use his evasion of litigation as volatile ammunition to make sure his stay in politics is a quick one

If he won, he would be the first person doing so while not being physically in Australia during the election.

Is he still in the Ecuadorian embassy? I've not really heard what hes doing or where he is recently.

Is this to get out of his embassy based exile?

I'll vote for him