Assange to champion free media if elected senator.

The WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, would be a "fierce defender of free media'' and would use parliamentary privilege to break court suppression orders and other "excessive constraints" on free access to information if he was successful in his bid for a Senate seat, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

In his first interview since declaring his intention to stand for the Senate at the next election, Assange said he planned to be a defender of liberty and ''the right of citizens … to live lives free from state interference''.

He said he "could be described as a libertarian" and nominated the Australian Democrats founder, Don Chipp, and the former prime minister Malcolm Fraser as political figures he admired.

Assange said his priority was to campaign for more openness in government, what he termed "the politics of understanding before acting".

He is said to have expressed sharp criticism of the federal government and the opposition, saying there was "very little difference between Liberal and Labor, especially once they get into government. Labor suffers more from cronyism, while the Liberals care more for big business".

The WikiLeaks founder has not reportedly decided in which state to stand but said he had several options, having lived in Victoria, NSW and Queensland.

He was still considering "all possibilities", including standing as an independent, seeking an alliance with a party, or establishing a party devoted to advancing open government. He was keen to return to Australia as soon as possible.

While support for WikiLeaks is strongest among Greens voters, Assange said recent polling had shown strong support - 53 per cent approval for WikiLeaks - across the political spectrum. He emphasised that he needed "to be sure my deeply held values and beliefs could be accommodated" in any relationship with a party.

On international issues, Assange said Australian diplomacy must take into account the likelihood that the US faced "serious decline" during the next 15 to 20 years - indeed "collapse of its superpower status".

In these circumstances he supported much more regional engagement and an increased defence and intelligence budget "to reduce our reliance on the US".

He was concerned about expanded domestic security and police powers but thought surveillance was "legitimate" against terrorists and "various groups that really deserve scrutiny".