TDs Wallace and Daly meet Julian Assange in London

Independent TDs Mick Wallace and Clare Daly met Wikileaks founder Julian Assange for two hours yesterday in the Ecuadorean embassy in London, it has emerged.

Since the meeting, both Mr Wallace, who represents Wexford, and Ms Daly, who represents Dublin North, have called on Irish-Australians to vote for Assange’s newly-registered Wikileaks Party in the upcoming Australian Senate elections, which will take place next month.

According to Ms Daly, the two TDs organised the meeting. She doesn’t know if Mr Assange is meeting with other international legislators.

“We went in our roles are parliamentarians to discuss hugely important issues and to assist in every way that we can,” she said.

“Julian Assange and WikiLeaks have played a pivotal role in exposing the slaughter of innocent people in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“They have shone a light on the practices of undemocratic and unaccountable politicians, exposed corrupt bankers, and been instrumental in empowering ordinary people to make a stand and demand that society should be run in the interests of ordinary people in many different countries around the world.”

Ms Daly added they will be studying information given to them by Mr Assange over the next few weeks.

Speaking in the Dáil last month, Mr Wallace mentioned Mr Assange along with whistleblowers Edward Snowden and Bradley Manning, saying they sought “not to liberate land or people, but information”.

“The authorities have sought to criminalise them as spies. Their aim was neither to enrich themselves nor aid foreign powers but to make countries more transparent, knowledgeable, accountable and honourable,” he said.

“The western world has always prided itself on the idea that individuals can make a difference. Clearly, they do so at their peril.”

Mr Assange has been in the Ecuadorean embassy since June 2012 when he was granted political asylum.

He is wanted in Sweden for  questioning over allegations of sexual assault.