Emma Lord, Sydney
Andrew Wilkie has announced that he will run as the Greens' candidate in Prime Minister John Howard's seat of Bennelong.
Wilkie made headlines last year when he resigned from the Office of National Assessments (ONA) over the government's misrepresentation of intelligence on Iraq.
According to Wilkie, "I could [not] stand by any longer and take no action as this coalition marches to war. I think the interests of the thousands of people, perhaps tens of thousands ... who could be injured, displaced or killed in a war, I think their interests are more important".
Wilkie has not always been inclined to the left. He served in the army for 20 years, rising to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. After some time in the private sector he returned to the ONA as a civilian, working as a senior analyst.
His colleagues have described him as a conservative, and many have accused him of being seduced by left-wing politics. Wilkie admitted: "I come from a very conservative background. Having said that, I've been moving towards — call it the left, or call it the progressive side of politics — for many years now.
"Australian democracy was seriously wounded over the Iraq business, not least because the PM was more beholden to Washington than to the Australian community. I think that Australia's place in the world, and especially the region, has been seriously diminished."
In his campaign for Bennelong, Wilkie will focus on more than the war. "I now look forward to the opportunity of being able to speak much more broadly on a ... range of issues. I mean, I understand that many Australians have moved on from Iraq, but Australians haven't moved on from that underlying question mark over the government's dishonesty."
The seat of Bennelong has been held by Howard since 1974 and has been a Liberal seat since its incarnation. However, when asked about his chances, Wilkie was optimistic. "Obviously we're the underdogs but I'm already encouraged by the amount of interest we've had. It's going to be more of a contest than people might realise.
"It would be foolish of John Howard to take my challenge too lightly."
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From 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly, May 19, 2004.
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