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Julian Assange. Photo: AP

Assange records Australian election music spoof

WikiLeaks

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has recorded a musical spoof on his Australian political party for cult web series Rap News, satirising rock star John Farnham in a wig and denim shirt.

Assange, who started the WikiLeaks Party to run for office in next month’s Australian election, modified the words to Farnham’s 1986 hit in a video for the online programme, which raps about current affairs.

The former computer hacker undergoes a makeover inside the Ecuador embassy in London for the shoot, donning a mullet wig - short on top but long in the back - to sing in the stylised segment.

He sings of making things “leak so we can get much bolder” and that “we’re all wire-tapped now, we’re all being fed lies”, telling voters that they’re “the light that the world’s demanding, make it bright and make things clear”.

Assange has a few quintessentially Aussie costume changes - all accompanied by the wig - for the short clip. It was shot in the embassy compound where he has been holed up for more than a year, fighting extradition to Sweden where he is wanted for questioning over sexual assault claims.

The election special, which also takes aim at Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, his predecessor Julia Gillard and opposition leader Tony Abbott, has been watched 237,457 times since being uploaded to You Tube on Monday.

Melbourne-based creators Giordano Nanni and Hugo Farrant said the film, entitled A Game of Polls, would be their last, after three years and 20 episodes which have attracted a cult online following.

It’s not the first time Assange has made an appearance on Rap News - he invited the crew to London to record an episode with him in 2010 ahead of his release of the Iraq War logs after seeing an earlier sketch of theirs about WikiLeaks which he liked.

Since the filming of this latest episode Assange’s WikiLeaks Party has seen a rash of resignations related to unpopular behind-the-scenes deals with other parties, including far-right and pro-gun groups.

Assange’s number two on the Senate ticket in Victoria state, where he is running, Leslie Cannold, was among those who stood down, due to what she described as undemocratic conduct.

 

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