McCormack slams 'hero's welcome' for Assange, brands actions 'unforgivable'

"As a member of the Bring Julian Assange Home Parliamentary Group since its inception in 2019, I am proud to have supported and worked with a broad cross section of my parliament colleagues to advocate for Julian and his family," Dr Haines said on Thursday, June 27.

Assange arrived in Canberra on the evening of Wednesday, June 26, after having spent five years in a British prison as the US sought to extradite him to America over the release of classified information.

Member for Indi Dr Haines met Assange's father John Shipton in Parliament House in the hours between his son pleading guilty to an espionage charge in a US Pacific territory and landing in Australia.

On Thursday afternoon she met Assange's wife Stella on Capital Hill.

"Julian's family have been steadfast in their advocacy," Dr Haines said.

"For years they have lived with great uncertainty, and I am hopeful they will be able to make up for the many years they have spent apart now that he is home.

"Their fight has been about more than just bringing Julian back to Australia, they have been fighting for freedom of the press, and that is a significant issue that remains unresolved."

In February, Dr Haines supported a motion in Parliament which noted Assange's matter had "gone on for too long" and called for the case to be concluded so he could return to his family in Australia.

Farrer MP Sussan Ley and Riverina MP Michael McCormack, a former editor of Wagga's Daily Advertiser newspaper, voted against the motion.

A spokesman for Ms Ley gave a one-line response to Assange's release.

"The Coalition welcomes Mr Assange's decision to plead guilty which has brought this long running saga to an end," he said.

But Mr McCormack issued a 442-word statement headed "No hero's welcome deserved for Assange".

"This self-confessed criminal is now receiving a hero's welcome from not just members of the media but also, disgracefully, members of our own government," Mr McCormack said.

"Mr Assange is no journalist, but is the perfect embodiment of a reckless, disrespectful and insidious attitude some have towards the security establishment and our defence personnel who permit countries such as Australia and the United States of America to enjoy peace and prosperity.

"Mr Assange did not have the integrity to consider the harm his actions would cause to brave men and women in uniform as well as others besides - instead seeking notoriety in the most destructive way possible.

"What Mr Assange did was unforgivable - shamelessly publishing and handing our enemies uncensored information of actively serving defence personnel on a platter."

One of Dr Haines' constituents, Benalla woman Jenny Doxey, who met Mr Shipton when he stopped in Albury in 2021 as part of a campaign to bring his son home, is thrilled Assange is back in Australia.

She posed with Assange's father John Shipton for a Border Mail photograph, while he held a homemade poster bearing the message 'Bring Julian Home' next to her Benalla friend Helen Foster.

"I watched all of it," Ms Doxey said of Assange's arrival.

"It was just fantastic, I think it was unexpected and that made it more fascinating.

"It's been ongoing with different court cases and you think there's no resolution.

"It's very good for his father, who is a lovely man and cared for his son and it's great that we could support him and his son on that day (in Albury)."

Ms Doxey, a retired social worker who said she was not an activist, said she had been inspired to support Assange out of human rights concerns.

She also paid $50 towards an appeal by WikiLeaks to cover the $700,000-plus cost for the private plane to fly Assange home.

"Someone dropped in here and said 'I was crying'," Ms Doxey said.

"It's moved a lot of people, it's not just those that have been engaged with it."