After the flare up over Wikileaks preferencing the Nationals before the Greens in Western Australia and the subsequent Wikileaks schism, there has been much speculation about what really happened. In the interests of readers and potential voters for both parties, IA provides a forum for both Gerry Georgatos from the Wikileaks Party and Senator Scott Ludlam from The Greens to tell their sides of the story.
Gerry Georgatos — Wikileaks Party
The Greens welcomed the formation of the Wikileaks Party; new voices participating in our democracy running on a platform of transparency and accountability can only be a positive development.
On preferences, the Greens negotiated in good faith. If you look at our preferencing decisions, it’s clear where we stand and also that we keep our agreements. Yes, we were disappointed at choices made by individuals on behalf of the Wikileaks Party, because they could prove decisive in handing Tony Abbott control of both houses of parliament. Their departing members, candidates and national council leaders are clearly as disappointed as we are.
The WA contest is extremely tight and will almost certainly involve myself and the Nationals’ candidate “vying for the sixth Senate spot”, as the Wikileaks WA Senate candidate himself wrote in June. There is no such thing as a safe Senate seat, especially with the 6th spot sometimes taking weeks to declare due to the complexity of counting preferences. These are often decisive, but they are also extremely unpredictable; the supremely confident pronouncements by the WikiLeaks candidate in WA are mostly incomprehensible and should just be set aside.
I do not regret my work in support of the Wikileaks publishing organisation and Julian Assange; Greens policy is strong on protections for whistleblowers, journalists and publishers, foundations for a functioning democracy and a free press. If I get another term in the Senate, I will continue that work, and won’t let the preferencing debacle drive a wedge between campaigners of goodwill whose most important task is building the movement for digital rights.
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