By my count, there are 26 members of the "Julian Assange Support Group" other than George Christensen himself, including 14 other members of the House of Representatives.
Yet, I learnt yesterday, on Wendesday, that George Christensen's Illegal Detention of Australian Journalists (Free Julian Assange) Bill 2021, [1] about which I had posted an article was dropped on Tuesday 29 November because no other member of the House of Representatives, not even one 14 other members of Julian Assange Support Group would second George Christensen's motion!
Those 14 other House of Representatives members of the Julian Assange Support Group are Andrew Wilkie (Independent), Adam Bandt (Greens), Steve Georganos (Labor), Dr Helen Haines (Independent), Julian Hill (Labor), Barnaby Joyce (Nationals and Deputy Prime Minister), Peter Khalil (Nationals), Rebekha Sharkie (Centre), Ms Susan Templeman (Labor), Ms Maria Vamvakinou (Labor), Josh Wilson (Labor) and Tony Zappia (Labor).
For many years the Australian Government and Labor Opposition had colluded to prevent any substantial debate, on the floor of our the Australian Parliament, about the plight of Australia's most famous and most revered citizen, Julian Assange. At least two previous attempts to put the case for Julian Assange to the floor of our Parliament had been prevented by the arcane rules by which private Member's Motions (PMMs) can be put to Parliament.
The most recent attempt was Julian Hill's PMM which he foreshadowed on 21 June. As it was never put, it was evidiently blocked by the Selection Committee.
Notwithstanding all of this, Queensland Nationals MP George Christensen apparerently is able to put motions to the House of Representatives without them first having to be approved by the Parliamentary Selection Committee. That is what he attempted to do on 29 November according to this Hansard document.
At long last, after the Australian Government had, for 9 year and 7 months, since Julian Assange was first forced to seek asylum in the London Ecuadorian Embassy, failed in its basic duty of care towards him, and since he had been held in solitary confinement for 23 hours per day at Belmarsh Prison since 11 April 2019, Julian Assange was finally going to be properly debated on the floor of the Australian Parliament and Britain, Sweden and the Australian government itself were going to be held to account in that chamber.
However, after not one of the other 14 members of the Julian Assange Support Group seconded George Christensen's bill, it was dropped!
Of the Illegal Detention of Australian Journalists (Free Julian Assange) Bill 2021, all that is written in Hansard, other than the bill itself, is:
Progress of bill
So, once more, as Julian Assange could face extradition to the United States, when the UK Supreme Court hands down its ruling tomorrow on 3 December or could, instead, find his 23 hours per day solitary confinement continuing for many more months as whatever decision is handed downis appealed, the Australian government may be allowed to continue its betrayal of Julian Assange at little cost to itself.
It now seems that we cannot hope to give effective support to Julian Assange from here in Australia until we build a mass grass-roots movement that will aim remove from office all those wo have betrayed Julian Assange. They now, apparently, including many of those whom I had thought supported Julian Assange.
Footnotes
[1] I had posted an article George Christensen to put to Parliament bill to make the Australian Government act to Free Julian Assange (29/11/21) about George Christensen's tabled motion almost two days ago now - ironically, at about the time that that bill was being dropped for a lack of a seconder.
[2] I was unable to find "House Standing Order 116(a)." All I could find was House Standing Order 116 116 - Consideration in committee:
In committee of the whole the preamble shall stand postponed without question put, and the clauses shall be read in their order separately by the chairman, and on each clause the question shall be put by the chairman, that the clause stand as printed. The words of enactment at the head of the bill shall not be put to the committee.
I fail to see how this is relevant.
Comments
Andrew Parkinson (not verified)
Thu, 2021-12-02 17:51
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Assange on bail yet.
admin
Fri, 2021-12-03 01:18
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Had Australia objected Britain could not have imprisoned Julian
The imprisonment and torture of Julian Assange by Britain is clearly illegal under international law as well as British law. Had the Australian government told the British government to release Julian Assange at any point in time over the last nine and a half years, the British government would have been left with no choice but to comply. If they had not, Australia would have had recourse to the International Criminal Court and to the United Nations and with international public opinion overwhelmingly on julian Assange's side, Britain would have quickly found it had no legs to stand on and left with no choice but to free Julian Assange without delay.
However, recently leaked documents show that the Australlian government has not only failed in this basic duty of care towards Julian Assange, but it has actually worked with the Swedish, British and United States governments against Julian Assange behind our backs.
Had George Christensen's motion been seconded, then debated and voted upon, many of the facts about Britain's and Sweden's monstrous treatment of Julian Assange since 16 June 2021 would have been revealed to all Australians on the floor of our Parliament [1] regardless of whether or not there was sufficient support for Julian Assange there to carry the vote.
The profile of the campaign to free Julian Assange would have been greatly lifted here, in Australia, and elsewhere.
Footnote[s]
[1] Given the astonishing refusal by all 14 other members of the Julian Assange Support Group to second George Christensen's motion, I no longer feel as assured as I previously had that, had the bill been debated that those 14 members would have used their voices, as effectively as they could have, for Julian Assange.
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