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SidDithers

(44,228 posts) Thu Dec 13, 2012, 12:15 PM Dec 2012

Julian Assange plans to run for Senate seat in Australia...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/dec/13/julian-assange-senate-seat-australia

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has revealed his intention to run for a Senate seat in the 2013 Australian federal election. Assange, 41, said plans to set up a WikiLeaks political party were "significantly advanced" and had received support from a number of "worthy people" in his home country.

In an interview with Fairfax Media, he said his party would promote openness in government and politics and combat growing intrusions on individual privacy. He said he would be eligible to register as an overseas voter in either New South Wales or Victoria and would shortly take a "strategic decision" about which state he would contest.

Sid

6 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Julian Assange plans to run for Senate seat in Australia... (Original Post) SidDithers Dec 2012 OP

While holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London to avoid a rape investigation? Nye Bevan Dec 2012 #1

LOOK AT ME!! LOOK AT ME!!! RomneyLies Dec 2012 #2

He needs to register to vote, first. Apparently he never has. nt msanthrope Dec 2012 #3

Wonder if this is a way to get around the funding embargo... SidDithers Dec 2012 #4

Ah--public funding and anonymous donors (through certain entities!) You may have hit on something msanthrope Dec 2012 #5

Can Assange Really Become an Australian Senator? SidDithers Dec 2012 #6

Nye Bevan

(25,406 posts)

1. While holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London to avoid a rape investigation?

Reply to SidDithers (Original post)

Thu Dec 13, 2012, 12:17 PM

Dec 2012

I'm not sure that he will really be able to serve as an effective Senator.

RomneyLies

(3,333 posts)

2. LOOK AT ME!! LOOK AT ME!!!

Reply to SidDithers (Original post)

Thu Dec 13, 2012, 12:19 PM

Dec 2012

What an egotistical putz of an attention whore Assange is.

msanthrope

(37,549 posts)

3. He needs to register to vote, first. Apparently he never has. nt

Reply to SidDithers (Original post)

Thu Dec 13, 2012, 12:44 PM

Dec 2012

SidDithers

(44,228 posts)

4. Wonder if this is a way to get around the funding embargo...

Reply to msanthrope (Reply #3)

Thu Dec 13, 2012, 04:00 PM

Dec 2012

declare Wikileaks a political party, and solicit political donations.

Next, he'll be setting up the Church of Wikileaks.

Sid

msanthrope

(37,549 posts)

5. Ah--public funding and anonymous donors (through certain entities!) You may have hit on something

Reply to SidDithers (Reply #4)

Thu Dec 13, 2012, 04:52 PM

Dec 2012

there, Sid! Could be the biggest scam to date!

SidDithers

(44,228 posts)

6. Can Assange Really Become an Australian Senator?

Reply to SidDithers (Original post)

Fri Dec 14, 2012, 08:46 AM

Dec 2012

http://mashable.com/2012/12/13/assange-australian-senate/

Even when he's locked up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, Wikileaks publisher Julian Assange's ambition doesn't wane. Apparently, he now wants to be a senator. Yesterday, Australian newspaper The Age reported that Assange wants to run in the 2013 Australian federal election and even create a Wikileaks party in his native country.

Leaving aside the chances of winning the seat, it's not entirely clear whether he is actually eligible to run for senator in the first place, Australian legal experts say.

snip

Second, there's the money. In Australia, explained Orr, for every vote you receive in an election, your party earns approximately $2.50 US dollars. Even capturing a small percentage of the vote would net the hypothetical Wikileaks party a good deal of cash. And that's not counting all the donations it could get before the election.

Follow the money indeed.

Sid

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