Julian Assange has entered Australia's surveillance debate dismissing as "absurd" and "meaningless" government assurances that telecommunications interception is limited and subject to strict oversight.

In a late submission to a Senate committee inquiry into Australia's telecommunications interception laws the WikiLeaks publisher says the Australian government has "fundamentally misrepresented" information sharing between the "Five Eyes" intelligence partners – the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Julian Assange has dismissed the Australia government's assurances on the limits of their surveillance powers, labelling them "absurb" and "meaningless". Credit:John Stillwell

Mr Assange, an Australian citizen granted political asylum by Ecuador two years ago and living in its London embassy, argues that revelations from former US National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden have confirmed that "bulk interception" and mass sharing of private communications "are routine among the Five Eyes intelligence agencies."

Mr Assange was granted political asylum on the grounds that he is at risk of extradition to the US to face conspiracy or other charges arising from the leaking of hundreds of thousands of secret military and diplomatic documents by US soldier Chelsea Manning. The Australian government has indicated that it will not make any representations on Mr Assange's behalf.