Adam Bandt (Melbourne, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

[by video link] I second the motion. Given that the clock is running down, I will be brief. The situation with Julian Assange should concern everyone. It sets the precedent that you can be a journalist exposing war crimes and find yourself ground down, to the point where you may no longer be able to stay alive, by some of the most powerful forces and some of the most powerful governments in the world. To anyone who believes in transparency and people abiding by the rule of law, that should send a shiver down everyone's spine. It's also incredibly concerning because it raises the question about what it means to be an Australian citizen and what it means for a government to effectively turn its back on one of its own and allow them to rot and be subject to not only legal proceedings but potential threats of assassination and abduction, as the member for Clark has referred to in the motion.

I want to commend the work done by all members of the Parliamentary Friends of the Bring Julian Assange Home Group and acknowledge the work of our Senators Peter Whish-Wilson, in particular, and Janet Rice, who have been pursuing this matter over in the Senate. Given the limited time, I commend this motion to the House.

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