Topics: Julian Assange; Solomon Islands Prime Minister;
07:45AM ACST
27 June 2024
Journalist: Some strong language this morning on Albanese’s decision to make a phone call to Assange. Just to clarify, do you think it’s damaged the US-Australia alliance or upset some US congressmen?
Simon Birmingham: Well, firstly, can I say it’s welcome that the long running legal saga around Julian Assange has come to an end. And indeed, we acknowledge the work of consular staff of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in terms of trying to provide representations for him over the years, including the many years where he refused consular assistance from Australian officials. But ultimately, there is a question of judgement that the Prime Minister has failed, which is to provide a personal welcome home for Julian Assange. Yesterday, Julian Assange pleaded guilty in a United States court to charges under the US Espionage Act, and by nightfall he was welcomed home by the Australian Prime Minister. That just sends all of the wrong signals and is irresponsible and inappropriate of Anthony Albanese to welcome home Julian Assange on the same day he’s pleaded guilty to US charges related to espionage. Now, of course, the Australian American Alliance is an enormously strong one and it can withstand many, many things. And it will certainly not be affected in terms of the big strategic goals we have, such as AUKUS by this type of incident. But there will be many Americans who think that it’s inappropriate for the Australian Prime Minister to provide that type of homecoming welcome to Julian Assange. Having just pleaded guilty to US charges.
Journalist: Would you have done it if you were in a similar position to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese? Would you have picked up the phone?
Simon Birmingham: I don’t think it’s at all appropriate that Anthony Albanese picked up the phone to Julian Assange. It was appropriate for Anthony Albanese to make representations to ensure his wellbeing and welfare, and that he got the right type of legal support and assistance. But it’s not necessary nor appropriate for Anthony Albanese to welcome home Julian Assange on the same day he’s admitted to espionage acts.
Journalist: You’ve also suggested that Assange might have been able to be freed earlier had he faced up to the US justice system. Tell us more about that.
Simon Birmingham: Look, there are numerous facts here. Julian Assange spent seven years in an Ecuadorian embassy avoiding facing court. He spent five years in UK legal processes seeking to avoid facing the charges in the United States. He was entirely entitled to appeal and challenge in those UK systems. And the fact that he was entitled to do so underscores the reality that Julian Assange had access to lawyers, had access to a fair judicial system and a transparent courts. The type of justice system that Australia has and depends upon. We respect the UK legal system, we respect the US legal system. We also respect the Swedish legal system, which Julian Assange avoided for so long when he was accused of charges in relation to sexual assault. Now, ultimately, Mr. Assange is responsible for how he’s conducted himself. But you can indeed look at the comparison of Chelsea Manning, who was convicted in relation to providing the documents that Mr. Assange published, and Chelsea Manning was released from prison many, many years ago now.
Journalist: Good morning. Yesterday you met with the Solomons PM. I’m just wondering if you can detail what was raised and whether you think there’s hope for a new partnership under the new government?
Simon Birmingham: Peter Dutton and I met with the Prime Minister Manele yesterday. It was a good, positive meeting with the Prime Minister and his ministers and we welcome very much the opportunity that was provided to be able to engage with him. Of course, given the long-standing security partnership that Australia has with the Solomon Islands, we discussed those security matters as we did economic growth opportunities, infrastructure investments, the type of partnerships that are the normal course for conversations. And again, building on the many discussions that we’ve been able to have from opposition with Pacific Island nations and others, I think it’s a demonstration of the continuity that exists in Australia in terms of the commitment to partnership with those Pacific nations.
Journalist: Just one on the Senate motion to recognise Palestine. So, it’s in both party platforms as in the government, the Coalition’s, Labor’s to eventually recognise the Palestinian state. This motion, the urgency motion essentially stipulated that the matter be considered. Can you just walk me through why the Coalition didn’t support that in terms of it didn’t commit you to anything. It was a simple Senate motion.
Simon Birmingham: The recognition of a Palestinian state has been a long-standing bipartisan policy as part of a comprehensive, negotiated two-state solution. And a negotiated two-state solution requires that there be a number of steps met before recognition occurs. And we put forward an amendment making clear that those preconditions, those steps should happen in terms of there being recognition of each other’s right to exist, that Palestinian representatives need to recognise the right of Israel to exist, that they need to be security guarantees, they need to be final status negotiations around borders, around rights of return and around other critical factors. And we were unwilling to support a type of motion that didn’t make clear those preconditions. And it is disappointing that the Government voted against those preconditions, which yet again shows how far the Albanese Labor Government has moved from the long-standing bipartisan consensus to some ill defined position of potential premature or early recognition of Palestine without critical issues being resolved.
Journalist: Is Julian Assange a journalist?
Simon Birmingham: Julian Assange is not a journalist. It’s an insult to all of you as journalists to pretend that he is. Let’s be very clear about what he did and did not do. Julian Assange published half a million documents that had been provided to him. Did he read them? Did he curate them? Did he edit them? Did he know what was in them? No, not really. Because of course it was just a bulk lot drop on the internet. That’s not responsible journalism, that’s not identifying any particular wrongdoing. It barely even or not even really whistleblowing in the sense that he didn’t know what he was publishing. He just published the documents without consideration for the consequences. And those consequences, as the US State Department have identified, were potentially placing many people at risk and saw the US State Department take a number of steps to avoid the risk and potential harm to others.
Journalist: Do you think the news about Assange is, I guess, hopeful for other Australians that are locked up overseas at the moment that the government might be working towards their release as well?
Simon Birmingham: Well, we always want to see Australian governments work to ensure that Australians get proper legal proceedings and access to justice, and in places where justice does not meet the standards that we would accept in Australia, we seek to stand up for those Australians. But we should be very clear. Julian Assange is not Cheng Lei, Sean Turnell or Kylie Moore-Gilbert. He was not held in Iran or China or Myanmar. He was in the United Kingdom, a country with a rule of law, a country with a clear and transparent justice system upon which our own justice system was based. So, like any Australian in trouble overseas, he was always entitled to consular support and should always have received that consular support, even when he was refusing it. But we shouldn’t put him on the same plane as those who were truly political prisoners who have been arbitrarily detained. And that’s why Prime Minister Albanese was so wrong to pick up the phone, to welcome him home, to give him this homecoming greeting, when in fact, the Prime Minister should have seen that there were clear lines not to cross in relation to somebody who just that day had pleaded guilty to espionage charges. Thanks, guys.
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