Well, most of the commenters here seem to hold my own sorry view as to the expectation of government support if you deliberately transgress the "rules" of hegemony.
It was obvious that Julia Gillard and Robert McClelland assumed that they could maintain the usual solidarity with the U.S. by initially coming down hard on Assange with vague accusations of illegality on his part.
It's been gratifying to witness the clamour of support for him and his cause just grow louder and louder.
I wonder what will happen next?

579,
The inevitable is that Wikileaks is probably merely a template for other organisations to build upon...in the digital age, transparency is fairly easy to facilitate.

Poirot:

There's another interesting article entitled, "They Lock Up Journalists, Don't They?" by Austin Mackell that's to be found in "New Matilda."

Of course had the Australian government offered Sanctuary to Julian Assange, they would have had an immediate challenge from the US.

Poirot,

We have an extradition treaty with the USA, and we would be obliged to extradite for criminal cases (as Dr Patel was extradited to Aus) However, if this was determined to be a political crime, then probably this would not be covered by the treaty.

If we break the treaty, then Australian criminals such as Patel are safe in the US.

Under both forms of Australian government this country's leaders would not have the courage to do it.
And we need to remember he actually is held on other charges, many, myself included may think that is a blind.
What would happen?
In my opinion he would be kidnapped and surface ,or not, in America.
We should remember these comments have been made always, and about every government we ever had.
America must address its real problem, any thing any one said while Bush was in power is likely to be bad.
And its secrete service must be asleep.

Here's the GO, a GetUp ad in the USA for those here who support the Wiki fellow's right not to be impugned by the likes of American trash, and Australian politicians alike:

http://www.getup.org.au/campaign/Wikileaks?dc=1471,306007,2

I bet Senator Arbib will be donating a days wages, now he's been exposed as a fifth columnist working for the US embassy to topple his mate Rudd.

What a creep! Scuttling around like a turd-beetle doing the bidding of our great friend and ally.

Dobbing in his mates in his beloved rightwing ALP.

Does he also visit the embassy for Saudia Arabia I wonder?

TBC you again remind me just how differently you and I think.
Mark has done nothing hundreds before him, on both sides have done.
A poll if we had one would support the view most are concerned with Americas response not what has been said.
Spying for America, a member of the Australian/American council?
Unrealistic at best.
Another poster however gets the prize telling us we have a treaty to send criminals to America, on what charges, for what crime?