Loading
Asked about the argument that the US justice process should be allowed to play out independently,Wilkie said:“This has always been an inherently political matter and it needs a political solution.”
A spokeswoman for the US Embassy confirmed the meeting had happened but declined to comment further.
Assange’s brother Gabriel Shipton said it was a “good sign” Kennedy had agreed to the meeting and thanked the MPs for presenting a petition of 26,000 signatures calling for Assange to be freed.
“It’s significant that the US government is aware of the considerable support for Julian inside the parliament as well as among the public,” he said.
Hill,who led the push for the meeting,said:“I thanked the ambassador for her willingness to engage,so she can communicate the strength of views across the political spectrum on this issue back to Washington,D.C.
“We communicated that the US needs to lead a political resolution on this issue and bring the matter to a close.
“Aside from the issues at stake in Julian’s case,the delay in resolving it is an unwelcome distraction from AUKUS and our work with the US to confront the strategic challenges we face.”
US ambassador Caroline Kennedy (third from left) meets a delegation of MPs championing the Assange cause,including Bridget Archer,Josh Wilson,Andrew Wilkie,Julian Hill and David Shoebridge.
Biden will address a joint sitting of parliament in Canberra in a fortnight before travelling to Sydney for the Quad leaders’ summit alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Albanese last week said he was frustrated by his inability to convince the Biden administration to drop its extradition request for Assange,saying he had left United States officials with no doubt about his position on the matter.
Dutton – who had previously been highly critical of Assange – followed by saying that Assange’s case had gone on for too long and should be brought to a conclusion.
The United States Justice Department has charged Assange with 17 counts of breaching the Espionage Act,plus a separate hacking-related charge,and has been seeking to extradite him from the United Kingdom since 2019.
Shoebridge described the meeting with Kennedy as “productive”,saying it allowed the parliamentarians an opportunity to convey the widespread support for the US to drop its extradition case against Assange.
“The fact that the ambassador allocated precious time to this issue ahead of President Biden’s visit is a useful indication of the visibility of the campaign to free Assange.
“The end of Australia’s ‘quiet diplomacy’ on Assange last week is an important step forward and brings us closer to a just conclusion of the ongoing persecution of Julian Assange.”
Archer said:“I feel quite positive following the meeting this morning that we had a very good hearing with the ambassador and we will continue to work together to keep the momentum going with this issue,to keep the pressure up in relation to Mr Assange and hopefully to see him returned to Australia soon.”
Cut through the noise of federal politics with news,views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletterhere.