Greg Barns named Australia's Wikileaks Party national campaign director

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Yesterday, Greg Barns was named Australia's WikiLeaks Party national campaign director following the party receiving support from philanthropist Philip Wollen of Melbourne.

Barns is not new to political campaigning; the barrister served as the leader of Australian Republican Movement during the late 1990s and served as a Liberal Party of Australia staffer. Barns was personally asked by Julian Assange to take the position, following Assange's own announcement late last year that he would run for a federal Senate seat in Victoria. John Shipton is already serving as the party's secretary.

Barns said the WikiLeaks Party's federal platform will focus on several issues including human rights, freedom of speech, privacy issues, and government transparency. The Wikileaks Party has not been registered yet with the Australian Electoral Commission as they do not have 500 enrolled electors as of today.

Assange is still based in London in the Ecuadorian Embassy, where he has been living for the last nine months. Assange would need approximately 15% of the Victorian vote to win a senate seat. Voting in Australia is compulsory.

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Sources

Philip Dorling. WikiLeaks names former Lib staffer to run campaign — The Canberra Time, April 2, 2013
Rob Taylor. Assange appoints WikiLeaks Party campaign director for Australian Senate bid — Reuters, April 2, 2013
AAP. Barrister Greg Barns to run Assange's Senate campaign — Herald Sun, April 2, 2013

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