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John Shipton

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For the physician, see John Shipton (surgeon).
John Shipton
NationalityAustralian
OccupationArchitect
Known forWikiLeaks Party
PartnerChristine Assange (1970)
Children3, including Julian Assange and Gabriel Shipton

John Shipton (born circa 1944) is an Australian anti-war activist and architect, best known as the father of Julian Assange (who adopted the surname of his step-father).[1][2] He founded the WikiLeaks Party and was involved with the creation of the website WikiLeaks and helped with WikiLeaks for years.[2][3][4] He was criticised for meeting with President Bashar al-Assad during a visit to Syria as part of the WikiLeaks Party.[5][6]

He campaigns and acts as an ambassador for Assange[7] and was featured in the documentary movie Ithaka, produced by his son Gabriel Shipton.[8]

WikiLeaks

[edit]
Main article: WikiLeaks

In 1996, Shipton rejoined Assange's life and had many "dense and lengthy" conversations with Assange during which Assange revealed his plan for WikiLeaks. Assange later registered the WikiLeaks address using Shipton's name.[2][3][9] Shipton helped with WikiLeaks for years.[4]

WikiLeaks Party

[edit]
Main article: WikiLeaks Party

On 23 April 2013, Shipton submitted registrations for the WikiLeaks Party to the Australian Electoral Commission.[10][4] Shipton stated that the party "stands for what Julian espouses — transparency and accountability in government and of course human rights".[11]

2013 voting issues

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The party's campaign was thrown into turmoil just weeks before the 2013 election when members objected strongly to the party's voting preferences (see single transferable vote).[12] In New South Wales, a fascist group was placed above the Greens while in Western Australia the National Party was placed above Greens Senator Scott Ludlam, a strong supporter of WikiLeaks and Assange. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, it was understood that WikiLeaks had "gone into a complex preference deal with micro parties, mainly right-wing, in a bid to get a candidate into the senate". The WikiLeaks Party blamed an unspecified "administrative errors" and announced an independent review would be performed.[13][14][15]

According to Assange's running mate Leslie Cannold, a campaign staffer received a telephone call that contradicted the statement by the WikiLeaks Party that the review would be immediate and independent. Instead, the review would be delayed until after the election and would not be independent.[15][16] The review was unable to interview anyone other than Shipton, but took submissions from figures like Greg Barns. The reviewer also had "limited or no access to WLP official transcripts, minutes of National Council meetings and official emails/correspondence" and was unable to verify what he was told. The independent review rejected the claim that the decision was an "administrative error".[17]

When National Council members complained, CEO John Shipton attempted to work without them and create a new power base.[18][15][16] Leslie Cannold, Assange's running mate in Victoria, resigned along with four other members of the National Council and several major volunteers.[18][15][19] Cannold said she could not remain a candidate because doing so would implicitly make a statement that the WikiLeaks Party was "a democratically run party that both believes in transparency and accountability, and operates in this way".[16][20] Julian Assange responded, saying "I’m not sure I’d call it chaos, although of course it [the resignations] is a significant event".[21][20] Alison Broinowski said she talked to John Shipton and decided the decisions were a mistake and that "no skulduggery was in evidence".[20] Shipton termed the National Council "raving fucking lunatics" and threatened legal action.[22]

After the 2013, Shipton started a national tour to assess interest in continuing the party.[23]

Syria visits

[edit]

In December 2013, a delegation from the WikiLeaks Party, including its chairman John Shipton, visited Syria and met with President Bashar al-Assad with the goals of demonstrating "solidarity with the Syrian people and their nation" and improving the party's understanding of the country's civil war. The visit was criticised by both major parties of Australian politics and considered a "propaganda coup" for the Syrian regime.[5][6] In a statement issued shortly before the visit, the WikiLeaks Party stated that it opposed outside intervention in the war, endorsed a negotiated peace process and described reports of the Ghouta chemical attack by forces loyal to al-Assad in August 2013 as being "unsubstantiated" and comparable to the concerns over the Iraqi weapons of mass destruction program prior to the Iraq War.[24][25]

The meeting with Assad was criticized by the Australian Prime Minister, Foreign Minister,[6][26][27] Syrian activists[28] and WikiLeaks supporters.[29] The visit was also criticised by the Federal Opposition, including independent experts, the Greens and senior members of Labor.[6][26][30] Shipton stated that the meeting with al-Assad was "just a matter of good manners" and that the delegation had also met with members of the Syrian opposition.[31] However, these meetings with the opposition have not been verified. Shipton said he was going to sue Tony Abbott and Julie Bishop for criticising the party’s delegation to Syria for $5 million in damages but never sued.[32][33][34] WikiLeaks said it "did not know or approve" of the visit.[6]

In December 2013, Shipton said he wanted to open an office for the WikiLeaks Party in Syria.[34][28][35] According to Shipton, he asked Syrian journalists to become their Damascus "transparency office" and send back "proper information" about the conflict, but said in April 2014 that those plans were ended and the emphasis was shifted to Kyiv.[27][36] Shipton added he and other members of the WikiLeaks Party would return to Syria to deliver medical supplies bought in Iran to the Red Crescent in Damascus, but said they would not meet Assad again.[36]

Missing funds

[edit]

In March 2014, Jamal Daoud said that the WikiLeaks National Council was denied access to the WikiLeaks Party’s books and copies of financial statements. He also said John Shipton told him the group was $70,000 in debt despite having no employees and no advertising. Daoud said it was "like a family convenience store". Shipton refused requests for interviews and comments.[37]

Julian Assange campaign

[edit]

Shipton campaigns and acts as an ambassador for Assange.[7] In 2019, The Age reported that Shipton regularly lobbied minor parties including The Greens calling for his son's release.[38] In 2021, he was featured in the documentary Ithaka, produced by his son Gabriel Shipton.[8] In July 2022, he said that the campaign to free his son had taken all of his money, and he had sold a house in Newton. He said he continued to campaign using money from other sources, including donations and book-selling.[39] In August 2022, he attended Parliament House to talk about Assange's case and frustration that he hadn't been able to meet with the prime minister, the foreign affairs minister, or the attorney general, despite requests.[40] In September 2022, he addressed Mexico’s Senate and accepted the key to Mexico City on behalf of his son.[41][42] In May 2023, he said the campaign to free Assange was on the "cusp of success" after prime minister Anthony Albanese and opposition leader Peter Dutton said Assange's detention had gone on too long.[43]

Personal life

[edit]

Shipton met Christine Ann Hawkins at a Vietnam War rally in 1970 when he was 26. By late 1970, they separated and she was pregnant with Julian Assange.[3][4] Shipton says he had no feeling for family life and didn't see Assange after he turned three years old until 1996 when he was 25.[9][44][45][2] He raised another son, Gabriel Shipton, in Sydney and has a daughter in Melbourne.[3][45][46] Shipton says he thinks he has Asperger syndrome.[45]

References

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  1. ^ Guilliatt, Richard (15 June 2013). "For John Shipton, the Wikileaks Party isn't just a political cause". The Australian. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d Tremlett, Giles (15 July 2011). "Julian Assange a great dissident, says his father". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d Guilliatt, Richard (15 June 2013). "For John Shipton, the Wikileaks Party isn't just a political cause".
  4. ^ a b c d "Senator Assange?". The Monthly. 3 June 2013. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  5. ^ a b Box, Dan; Owens, Jared (3 January 2014). "WikiLeaks Party 'risked being used by Syria'". The Australian.
  6. ^ a b c d e Owens, Jared (2 January 2014). "Abbott blasts WikiLeaks Party for meeting Assad". The Australian.
  7. ^ a b Berlin, Pressenza (15 October 2019). "John Shipton: Assange's father and ambassador in Berlin". Pressenza. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Ithaka film review — Julian Assange's story told through the eyes of his family". Financial Times. 7 July 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  9. ^ a b Leigh, David; Harding, Luke (30 January 2011). "Julian Assange: the teen hacker who became insurgent in information war". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  10. ^ "Polls positive for Wikileaks, as party registers". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 27 May 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  11. ^ "Wikileaks founder Julian Assange now a step closer to a Senate run". ABC News. 13 February 2013. Archived from the original on 28 March 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  12. ^ "WikiLeaks: A leaky boat? | New Politics". 12 September 2016. Archived from the original on 12 September 2016. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  13. ^ Aston, Heath (18 August 2013). "WikiLeaks attacked for directing preferences to right-wing parties". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  14. ^ "The Wikileaks Party Announces Independent Review". WikiLeaks Party. 21 August 2013. Archived from the original on 13 March 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  15. ^ a b c d Starr, Michelle. "WikiLeaks Party falls apart". CNET. Archived from the original on 8 February 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  16. ^ a b c Hurst, Daniel (21 August 2013). "Julian Assange's WikiLeaks Party running mate quits team". The Age. Archived from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  17. ^ Keane, Bernard (7 February 2014). "The 'highly emotional and volatile' world of the WikiLeaks Party". Crikey. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  18. ^ a b "Leslie Resignation & Statement of Fact on Candidacy re: The Wikileaks Party - Leslie Cannold". 8 September 2013. Archived from the original on 8 September 2013. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  19. ^ Wolf, Asher (23 August 2013). "The WikiLeaks party could learn about transparency from the Pirate party". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 8 February 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  20. ^ a b c Hurst, Daniel; Ireland, Judith; Snow, Deborah (22 August 2013). "WikiLeaks candidate says there was 'no skulduggery' in party schism". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  21. ^ Ghazarian, Zareh (22 August 2013). "Is the party over for Julian Assange and WikiLeaks?". The Conversation. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  22. ^ Keane, John (28 October 2013). "Wikileaks: A Few Secrets". The Conversation. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  23. ^ "Julian Assange's WikiLeaks Party to fight another day". The Australian. Archived from the original on 9 November 2023.
  24. ^ "Wikileaks under fire after delegation travels to Syria to meet Bashar al-Assad". ABC News. 31 December 2013. Archived from the original on 17 November 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  25. ^ "Notes from Damascus". WikiLeaks Party. 22 December 2013. Archived from the original on 2 April 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  26. ^ a b "Bishop condemns WikiLeaks party meeting with Assad". ABC News. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  27. ^ a b Owens, Jared; Morton, Rick (1 January 2014). "WikiLeaks activists slammed for Bashar al-Assad meeting". The Australian.
  28. ^ a b Mackey, Robert (30 December 2013). "Assange's Father Met Assad in Damascus". The Lede. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  29. ^ Rennie, Kevin (8 January 2014). "WikiLeaks Supporters Shocked by Visit With Syria's Assad". Global Voices Advox. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  30. ^ "WikiLeaks under fire over Assad meeting in Syria". ABC News. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  31. ^ McKenny, Leesha; Wroe, David (1 January 2014). "Wikileaks Party defends its 'cup of tea' with Bashar al-Assad". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 1 January 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  32. ^ Dmytryshchak, Goya (2 January 2014). "Assange's father to start legal action against Tony Abbott, Julie Bishop". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  33. ^ Owens, Jared (14 March 2014). "Julian Assange wants full control of WikiLeaks Party, says party figure". The Australian.
  34. ^ a b "Wikileaks party under fire over meeting with Assad". The Telegraph. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  35. ^ Gray, Rosie (29 December 2013). "WikiLeaks Party Members Visited Top Syrian Regime Officials". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  36. ^ a b Safi, Michael (4 April 2014). "WikiLeaks party to return to Syria in mission to help 'ordinary people'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  37. ^ Owens, Jared (14 March 2014). "Julian Assange wants full control of Wikileaks Party, says party figure". The Australian. Archived from the original on 14 March 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  38. ^ Fowler, Michael (12 April 2019). "Julian Assange's father joins Melbourne rally for WikiLeaks founder". The Age. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  39. ^ FitzSimons, Peter (30 July 2022). "'Just get me out of here': Assange dad's desperate bid to bring his 'Wizard' home". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  40. ^ Martin, Sarah (4 August 2022). "Julian Assange's family urge Anthony Albanese to intervene before US extradition". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  41. ^ "Assange family accepts keys to Mexico City". The Canberra Times. 14 September 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  42. ^ "WikiLeaks founder's family brings campaign to Mexico". AP News. 15 September 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  43. ^ Jackson, Lewis (24 May 2023). "Julian Assange's supporters say campaign for release on 'cusp of success'". Reuters. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  44. ^ Hall, Sandra (21 April 2022). "No end in sight: Julian Assange's father opens up in new documentary". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  45. ^ a b c Quinn, Karl (1 June 2022). "Superb film shows the real toll on Julian Assange's wife and father". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  46. ^ FitzSimons, Peter (30 July 2022). "'Just get me out of here': Assange dad's desperate bid to bring his 'Wizard' home". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
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