Enough is enough’ is not good enough— Escalate pressure on politicians to free Assange

To help escalate pressure on Albanese, get involved—email, call, join delegations, and rally at the Victorian ALP conference on Saturday the 17th which the PM will attend (details below).

The UK’s denial last week of Julian Assange’s appeal against extradition to the USA proves that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s approach of advocating for Assange just by saying “enough is enough” is not good enough.

The ruling against Assange was highly political, as former UK Ambassador Craig Murray exposes here: “Assange: An Unholy Masquerade of Tyranny Disguised as Justice”. Murray reveals that Justice Jonathan Swift who ruled against Assange’s appeal is a former government lawyer whose own words betray he isn’t independent from the government. For example, in a legal magazine, Swift stated that his favourite clients were the security and intelligence agencies. “They take preparation and evidence-gathering seriously: a real commitment to getting things right.” Swift also said: “What really matters is that the bond of confidence between Executive and Judiciary is maintained.” (Emphasis added.) Demonstrating his compliance with the Executive, Swift was one of the Justices who in December produced the shock ruling that the UK government’s scheme to deport refugees to Rwanda is lawful. From Swift’s background, and reasoning in his ruling against Assange, Murray concludes: “Julian’s persecution has nothing to do with the law. It is a simple demonstration of the crushing power of the state.”

Given that ending the prosecution of Assange is now a bipartisan position in Australia, with both Albanese and Opposition leader Peter Dutton supporting that position, the British and American governments are treating the Australian Parliament with contempt.

In Parliament on 22 May, Albanese had said in answer to Assange advocate Andrew Wilkie MP: “But I’ve made it very clear to the US administration and to the UK administration the Australian government’s view. I appreciate the fact that that is now a bipartisan view after the comments last week of the Leader of the Opposition that enough is enough when it comes to the ongoing incarceration of Julian Assange and that nothing is served from the ongoing incarceration of Julian Assange. … I appreciate the member’s sincerity on this issue, along with a range of other members from across the parliament who have raised this issue. As an Australian citizen, I have made representations. I will continue to do so. But this issue is not a simple one. My motivation here is not to make a judgement. People will have different judgements about the actions of Mr Assange and can still reach that conclusion of, ‘Enough is enough.’ … I’m very pleased that this is now a bipartisan issue, and I acknowledge that.”

Yet our two AUKUS partners don’t care this is a bipartisan issue—they are treating us as a joke, worth milking for $368 billion to buy their submarines, but not worthy of respect for our political leaders’ request to free an Australian citizen.

Contrast this contempt from our two allies, with Communist Vietnam, where Albanese visited last week to foster better relations.

On his visit Albanese made representations to Vietnam’s prime minister on behalf of two Australian citizens who had been sentenced to death for drug trafficking; in response, Vietnam’s president granted clemency to the two Australians.

Here is a “communist dictatorship” being more respectful of and responsive to Australia’s PM, than our “great and powerful friends” the UK and USA.

Former Foreign Minister Bob Carr tweeted on 9 June:

“Assange loses appeal. The US contempt for Australian opinion has never been shown in starker relief. In this alliance is our position really this weak—that both sides of our politics speaking together can’t get the Aussie released when his whistleblowing US partner Chelsea Manning won a commutation for the same offence?”

Australians who support Assange must escalate pressure on Parliament to do much more—namely, direct the Prime Minister to demand the UK and USA end their persecution and free Assange immediately.

Email, call, and join delegations to see MPs

Email and call the PM’s office and your local MP’s office in Canberra to demand they do more:

Contact PM Albanese (this is a portal which is effectively the only way to contact Albanese, so flood it.)

Contact your MP (search by name or electorate).

Tell PM Albanese: “Enough is enough” is not good enough—you must demand the UK and US release Assange. Are you just pretending to support Assange to placate the majority of the Australian people who support him, or are you serious? If you’re serious, the Australian people expect you to stand up for a fellow Australian.

Tell your MP: Tell PM Albanese his “enough is enough” is not good enough—he must demand Assange’s release.

Join a delegation to your MP

Delegations of concerned citizens to MPs send a powerful message, and the more delegations the louder the message. If you’d like to join a delegation in your local electorate to meet your MP about Assange register your interest with the Australian Citizens Party on 1800 636 432 or at info@citizensparty.org.au. The ACP will coordinate delegations for each electorate by putting you in contact with others in your area who are also interested in joining a delegation.

Rally for Assange at the Victorian Labor Party Conference

Sat 17 June Double Protest, Moonee Valley Racecourse—PM Albanese will be attending
Session 1: 7:00 AM-10:00 AM; Session 2: 3:00 PM-6:00 PM