blog Crusading Internet activist Julian Assange has delivered on his promises to run for Australian political office in the upcoming Federal Election in September, reportedly registering the WikiLeaks Party in Australia yesterday and flagging his intention to become a Senator representing Victoria. The Age has the story (we recommend you click here for the full story):

“Mr Assange’s application for electoral enrolment in Victoria was handed to the Australian Electoral Commission in Melbourne yesterday by WikiLeaks supporters including his father, Sydney architect John Shipton, who has been active in the initial organisation of the party.”

Opinions vary right now as to how much of a chance Assange has. A poll taken in April 2012 showed that a quarter of Australian voters would be likely to vote for the Wikileaks founder, but ABC elections analyst Antony Green has pooh-poohed Assange’s chances as being close to impossible. Well, it’ll be interesting to see how the outspoken transparency activist performs. No doubt this upcoming Federal Election will be an interesting one.

Image credit: Jose Mesa, Creative Commons

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1. Paul Thompson
   Posted 13/02/2013 at 12:27 pm | Permalink | Reply

   That is one creepy photo.

   I wonder what his platform will be, apart from the obvious ‘Don’t extradite me” Act.

   • Harimau
     Posted 13/02/2013 at 12:49 pm | Permalink | Reply

     Potentially similar to PP Australia…

   • Glenn
     Posted 13/02/2013 at 6:45 pm | Permalink | Reply

     They could follow on fro mthe democrats with “Keep the bastards honest”

   • renegade
     Posted 04/03/2013 at 4:00 pm | Permalink | Reply

     His platform? Transparency for those in power and privacy for the individual forms part of his platform.

2. midspace
   Posted 13/02/2013 at 1:40 pm | Permalink | Reply

   Party Preferences?

3. Bob.H
   Posted 13/02/2013 at 1:59 pm | Permalink | Reply

   They may have handed the application to the Electoral Commission but the WikiLeaks Party hasn’t been accepted as a political party in Australia yet. Remember the problems that the Pirate Party had getting accepted as a political party?

   Fortunately I live in NSW so at this stage I wont be worrying whether he is a real contender or if he has anything positive to offer the political landscape.

   • SammyG
     Posted 13/02/2013 at 3:48 pm | Permalink | Reply

     @ Bob: “Fortunately I live in NSW so at this stage I wont be worrying whether he is a real contender or if he has anything positive to offer the political landscape.”

     Dude, Bob, Really.?
     there are a Plethora of examples where senators from other states have made waives in parliament, if he gets in, it will have an enormous benifit to regular Australians who want Government to be held Accountable.

     • Bob.H
       Posted 13/02/2013 at 7:21 pm | Permalink | Reply

       “there are a Plethora of examples where senators from other states have made waives in parliament” Yep we have had some make waves like Fielding and Harradine and it is a pity they didn’t waive their right to sit in the Senate we wouldn’t have had to put up with their censorship proposals.

       “if he gets in, it will have an enormous benifit to regular Australians who want Government to be held Accountable.”{

       If he gets in we don’t even know who is going to take up the seat. Last I heard he is ensconced in an embassy in London and subject to an arrest warrant. Chances of him getting to Canberra seem pretty remote.

       Yeah I can see how a bloke on the run from the law and paranoid about the USA wanting to extradite him would be a real asset for our Senate. He obviously believes that he should (not) be held accountable for his actions and and Governments should be accountable but not in the same way he is accountable.

4. Hubert Cumberdale
   Posted 13/02/2013 at 7:25 pm | Permalink | Reply

   Live in Victoria. Will vote one Wikileaks party.

   • Tom
     Posted 13/02/2013 at 11:45 pm | Permalink | Reply

     Don’t forget about PPAU! Vote Pirate 2013!

5. Peter Allan
   Posted 13/02/2013 at 10:19 pm | Permalink | Reply

   I think he’ll do well but the Wikileaks Party will need preferences from minors such as Greens (left-over quota etc), Sex Party, LDP, perhaps Shooters & Fishers Party, Democrats etc to get over the line. Must have Lower House candidates at least in the metro areas and have the polling booths fully staffed on polling day (14/08/13) and pre-polling for two weeks prior. Those 1.7m twitter followers must do more than tweet!!
   Best of Luck, Julian!!

6. LetsBeOpenAboutThis
   Posted 14/02/2013 at 10:41 am | Permalink | Reply

   So were getting fibre to the prison?

   • midspace
     Posted 14/02/2013 at 3:39 pm | Permalink | Reply

     It’s called FTTP for a reason!

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