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).
[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.
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".
[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.
[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.
[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.
[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.
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.
[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.