Anthony Albanese speaks on Julian Assange's return to Australia

Earlier tonight, but you probably knew this, Julian Assange was reunited with his family here in Australia. His arrival home ends a long running legal process. A plea agreement between Mr. Assange and the United States Department of Justice was accepted by AUS court in Saipan earlier today. I do want to express my appreciation to the United States and the United Kingdom for their efforts in making this possible. As Prime Minister, I have been very clear that regardless of what you think of his activities, Mr. Assange's case had dragged on for far too long. I have clearly and consistently, at every opportunity and at every level, advocated for Mr. Assange's case to be concluded. I am very pleased that this saga is over and earlier tonight I was pleased to speak with Mr. Assange, to welcome him home and had the opportunity to ask about his health and to have my first discussion with him. His safe return to Australia, we know means so much to his family, his wife Stella, his children who he he is looking forward to playing with like any dad, and his parents Christine and John. There are a range of views about the actions of Mr. Assange. The Australian Government feels strongly that the proper protection of all national security information is vital for safety. But as I have said, both as Labour leader and as Prime Minister, there was nothing to be gained by the further incarceration of Mr. Assange and we wanted him brought home Tonight. That has happened. We have got this done. I also acknowledge the efforts of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, my ministerial colleagues, Penny Wong, the Attorney General and others other Australian officials who've worked tirelessly on this case, particularly over the last couple of years. In particular, I want to thank Ambassador Rudd and High Commissioner Stephen Smith, who travelled home to Australia with Mr. Assange. We'll have meetings about orcas and other arrangements over the coming days as well. They worked with his legal team to facilitate a very smooth journey. This is the culmination of careful, patient and determined advocacy work that I am very proud of. It is yet another example of why mature, calibrated and consistent engagement with our partners is the best way to get results in Australia's national interest. Happy to take a couple of questions. See. And there are many views about Julian Assange. As you said, some do not regard him as a hero. Do you think he was a journalist who was wrongfully pursued over what he did? Oh, look, I think that there will continue to be different views about Julian Assange and his activity. My role has as Prime Minister has been to firmly say that whatever the views that people have, there was no purpose to be served by this ongoing incarceration. And can I say that when I spoke with Mr. Assange tonight, he described it as a surreal and happy moment. He's landing here in our national capital, Canberra. He expressed his thanks to what he described as the diplomatic A-Team. When I spoke about the role that Kevin and Stephen have been able to play Prime Minister. PM do you, you, you talked about your, your, your view that this went on for had gone on for too long. Do you think previous prime minister's previous governments have been negligent to allow to, to drag on so long instead of advocating Australia as you've done, as you've done what, what, what's important? I'm responsible for my job. My job is to advocate for Australian citizens. Chiang Lai's home, Sean Ternella's home. One of the things that my government does is at times as well we we don't shout, we're not in a contest of machismo. What we do is we get things done and my government advocated strategically, patiently in a calibrated way and we achieved this outcome. Prime Minister, just a couple of quick questions. Can you confirm that you expect to meet Mr. Assange in the next day or so? And and secondly, could you give us a sense, sorry, you expect you didn't conclude. Will you be meeting him in the next day or so? And also, what point did you actually realise that this was going to happen? You've been working on it for a couple of years. Was it a conversation with Joe Biden? Was a message sent from State Department of Foreign Affairs? How did that play out? Well, it played out over a long period of time. I've said that I have raised it at every opportunity at the highest level. I know that I've received a message from the US ambassador here that they are also pleased that this has been resolved. The first time I raised it was with President Biden at the Nodo Summit in Madrid. I raced it also with other senior members of the US administration. But this was always the case, to be very clear, that because of the separation between the political representatives and the judiciary, this was always going to be something that required discussion patient with the Department of Justice. And certainly over that period of time there has been an issue as well. I've exchanged very directly with Mr. Assange's lawyers, as have our diplomatic representatives, and Mr. Assange's lawyers have been very determined to achieve an outcome. And of course, the nature of his incarceration in Belmarsh has meant that that then communication had to then be got through. Stephen Smith, our High Commissioner, has visited him on a number of occasions. The details of the plea deal were worked through over a period of time, but what we have been focused on very clearly and for some of the issues that have raised with me, it was the case that this was the only way that I could see a resolution being achieved. And the objective here was to conclude these matters. They have been concluded. They've been concluded in a way that has achieved the outcome that was sought, which is Julian Assange is now home here in Australia. Just just pulling up to James's question, do you plan to meet with Mr. Assange in coming days? I've got Parliament tomorrow, so I'll be, I'll be here tomorrow. I'm not going to assist. I'm aware of Mr. Assange's movements in coming days, but I'm, I'm not about to that. That's a matter for his personal privacy. Obviously he's he's been through a considerable ordeal. It's up to him when he makes a statement. I was I was pleased to speak with him immediately upon the wheels touching the ground. I was quite pleased to be the first person here who he spoke with, which was mutually worked out that that would occur. And while we're while we're in this press conference, while some people are watching the plane and whether Mr. Assange has exited the plane, other people will be focused on kick off. Have you spoken to the US president since there was a breakthrough and how do you think this result will shape the US Australia relationship going forward? They are our closest ally. We have a very positive relationship with the United States. I regard President Biden as a friend. I regard the relationship as being absolutely central, one of the three pillars of our foreign policy here, along with our relationship in the region and our support for multilateral forums, including the United Nations. I engage. One of the things that I do and one of the reasons why you get outcomes is that I come into press conferences and talk about the personal details of discussions I have. So I was going to ask whether there was a breakthrough moment or a particular turning point in these negotiations. At the moment when you realise that it would be possible. I think there will probably arrange a number of steps along the way. To be to be frank, there were there were moments when this required a range of, of decisions to be made by the Department of Justice in the United States, which of course is not subject to, to political influence. They're independent. If you look at if you look at the whole range of people who've been to the United States, I'm surprised that some of it was missed by the people in this room. Some of the visits, but not up to me to to indicate that. Go back and have a look at some Diaries and who's travelled to the United States in recent months. We wanted to be focused on an outcome and these things don't come together till they all come together. You know, there are there are steps. It required a plea deal requires A2 sided agreement between the Department of Justice and Julian Assange. It requires in this case Mr. Assange to receive advice from his legal team and we have been in in contact with his legal team over a period. He had a legal team in the UK led by his longest legal adviser, Jen Robinson, who was a conduit for direct discussions with Mr. Assange. But he also had a very good legal team in the United States. Kevin Rudd worked very hard, as did Stephen Smith, as did the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, as did the Attorney General, as did others as well to achieve Karen. Prime Minister, the point's been made that your predecessors did not advocate for this outcome and that you have chosen to do so. And you've talked a bit about what why you did that. But you, you've personally been very engaged since before you were even Opposition leader with this. So can you tell us why you have chosen to stake so much on this, given the US relationship is so important and it must have put things under pressure at times. Why go so hard for this outcome for someone who, as you have made the point, divides the population in terms of what he did? I believe in standing up for Australian citizens and I'd make that very clear. I made it clear from the beginning I had the same position as opposition leader on all of these issues, as I've had as Prime Minister and as Prime Minister of Australia. You have an opportunity to make a difference. I've said repeatedly across a range of areas, I'm not here to occupy the space. I'm not here necessarily to to ensure that people will always be supportive by going through the details of what we are doing as we are doing them. And some people have been very critical that we weren't doing enough. What we were doing was exactly the right thing to achieve an outcome. I'm an outcomes based politician. I believe in making a difference. We can make a difference the United States of our friends. the United States was of of course in a a position though where because of the separation of powers. I believe in that as well and have always understood that due to their system. So it wasn't as simple as me sitting down with President Biden or any other US elected representative and achieving this outcome. Diplomacy is something that must be patient, something that must be built on trust, something that works through stages. We have, we have done that. And Mr. Assange and I this evening, as I said, I've I've never met Mr. Assange. I had a very warm discussion with him this evening, though he was very generous in his praise of the Australian Government's efforts. The Australian Government stands up for Australian citizens, That's what we do. Thanks very much.