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July 19, 2024
Taxpayers were billed an enormous sum to facilitate the return of Julian Assange to Australia last month, according to new Senate documents.
The astonishing travel costs were revealed on Thursday after Foreign Minister Penny Wong was asked to share exactly how much was spent to fly the WikiLeaks founder and relevant officials back home.
The fee for the private jet used to transport Mr Assange from the United Kingdom to the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific and then on to Australia came to a whopping $781,480.30.
This expense was invoiced to Wau Holland Foundation WHF, a non-profit organisation based in Germany which promotes freedom of information.
It is understood the federal government initially paid for the charter flight after an agreement was reached the foundation would reimburse the costs.
“The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade expects payment to be made by the end of August 2024, which is in line with the terms of the payment schedule,” Ms Wong said in the statement.
However, taxpayers will foot the bill for a slew of other extra expenses.
Australia’s Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd’s additional commercial travel costs totalled $29,267.73, while Australian High Commissioner to the UK Stephen Smith’s were $17,807.39.
Another $55,402.51 was spent to cover associated Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade costs.
Ms Wong said High Commissioner Smith was required to accompany Mr Assange to a US jurisdiction as a condition of the 53-year-old's bail.
However, she didn’t make the same claim regarding Mr Rudd.
“Ambassador Rudd has played a central role in bringing the two sides together and travelled to Saipan to ensure arrangements with the Department of Justice proceeded as agreed,” she said.
It is understood the two diplomats also carried out meetings about AUKUS and “other arrangements” while they were in Australia, while Mr Rudd undertook meetings with Governor Palacios during his time in Saipan.
Liberal Senator Dave Sharma, who made the original information request, took aim at the high travel costs in a post to Instagram.
“This must be one of the most expensive staged photo ops ever undertaken,” he wrote, referencing an image of Mr Assange and Mr Rudd in Saipan.
Shadow home affairs minister James Paterson also weighed in on the sky-high travel costs.
“In the middle of a cost of living crisis, taxpayers should not have to pick up the tab for a personal escort for a convicted criminal," he told SkyNews.com.au.
"If Julian Assange’s supporters can pay for his own flights, they can also meet the costs for Ambassador Rudd and High Commissioner Smith.”
The federal government had consistently maintained Mr Assange’s case had dragged on for too long and that there was nothing to be gained from his ongoing incarceration.
Speaking after the WikiLeaks founder’s plea deal was finalised, Ms Wong said it ended a “long running judicial process”.
“It has taken careful, patient and determined diplomatic efforts to achieve this outcome,” she said in a statement posted to X.
