CANBERRA: The Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU) has released candidate report cards as part of its 2022 Federal Election Guide for Armenian-Australians ahead of this Saturday's (21 May 2022) polls, which will determine Australia’s next government, opposition and cross-benches for the 47th edition of parliament.
Issues that were discussed during meetings with local candidates include:
Federal recognition of the Armenian Genocide;
Support for the right to self-determination for the Armenians of the Republic of Artsakh;
Support for the local Armenian-Australian community, their organisations and structures; and
Strengthening bilateral relations between Australia and the Republic of Armenia.
The following is a guide for voting on the small, green piece of paper for your local House of Representatives candidates. Remember you need to number all the boxes on the green ballot.
The division of North Sydney is a lower north shore electorate across the harbour from Sydney’s CBD and is home to a large number of Armenian-Australians. It includes the Lane Cove and Hunters Hill Local Government Areas (LGAs), most of the North Sydney LGA and the Willoughby City LGA.
The seat has been held by Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman since the 2015 North Sydney By-Election.
Mr Zimmerman was first elected to the seat of North Sydney at a by-election in 2015, following the resignation of Armenian-Australian and former treasurer Joe Hockey. Mr Zimmerman has since been re-elected as the Member for North Sydney in 2016 and 2019.
Record
Mr Zimmerman has an exemplary record representing Armenian-Australian issues in the Australian Parliament.
As Co-Chair of the Australia-Armenia Inter-Parliamentary Union (friendship group/caucus), Mr Zimmerman introduced the first ever Federal motion in the House of Representatives containing the words ‘Armenian Genocide’ in June 2018, which unanimously debated in favour of recognising Australia’s first major international humanitarian relief effort that aided orphans and survivors of the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides.
Since then, he has spoken on two subsequent motion on the Armenian Genocide. The most recent motion, championed by Mr Zimmerman, outright called for the Australian Government to recognise the 1915 Genocides against the Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks of the Ottoman Empire.
Mr Zimmerman is a strong supporter of the rights to self-determination of the people of Artsakh. He has raised the issue in Federal Parliament, is a member of the Australian Friends of Artsakh network, and has hosted a visiting delegation of Artsakh officials.
In September 2019, Mr Zimmerman was part of the first Federal-led Australian delegation to Armenia, where he visited the Armenian Genocide Memorail complex in Yerevan.
Mr Zimmerman’s efforts have earned him the Armenian-Australian Community’s Friend of the Year award.
Commitments
As a signatory to the Joint Justice Initiative, Mr Zimmerman has pledged to continue his long-time advocacy on the Armenian Genocide if re-elected as the Member for North Sydney. He will work with the community to ensure the Government takes that final step and accurately characterises the massacres against the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek people of the Ottoman Empire as genocide.
Similarly, Mr Zimmerman has affirmed his ongoing support for the people's right to self-determination, and has committed to raising this issue in Australia’s Parliament.
Mr Zimmerman has pledged to advocate for the local Armenian-Australian community in North Sydney and will continue to work towards building stronger relations between the Republic of Armenia and Australia.
Ms Catherine Renshaw is the Labor candidate for North Sydney. Ms Renshaw is a North Sydney local and a professor in the Law School at Western Sydney University, where she teaches and researches human rights.
Commitments
Ms Renshaw has committed to advance Armenian-Australian issues if elected to represent the seat of North Sydney. As a human rights professor, she supports federal recognition of the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides, and has pledged to support the Joint Justice Initiative set up by the three descendant communities to ensure Australia stands on the right side of truth and justice on this issue.
Ms Renshaw has also pledged to advance bilateral relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Commonwealth of Australia, as well as supporting the local Armenian-Australian community organisations and structures in North Sydney.
Ms Kylea Tink is an Independent candidate running for the seat of North Sydney. Ms Tink is a local business woman and has lived in the electorate of North Sydney for 15 years.
Commitments
Ms Tink has signified her commitment to supporting Armenian-Australian issues, particularly for accurate federal recognition of the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides. She has pledged to support the Joint Justice Initiative.
Ms Tink has also noted her support for the people's right to self-determination of the Republic of Artsakh and a free and independent Artsakh. She has pledged to become a member of the Australian Friends of Artsakh network, which stands in solidarity with Nagorno Karabakh’s indigenous Armenian population.
Support for bilateral relations between Armenia and Australia, as well as support for the local community in the electorate of North Sydney, were also raised with Ms Tink. She has pledged to support both these matters to the best of her ability if elected as the Member of Parliament for North Sydney.
The electorate of Bennelong is home to the largest Armenian community in Australia. Following the resignation of former MP and long-time friend of the Armenian-Australian community, Mr John Alexander, the seat is highly contested by both major parties at this Federal Election.
The seat covers 60sq.km including the suburbs of Denistone, Epping, Gladesville (part), Macquarie Park, Meadowbank, Melrose Park, Putney, North Ryde, Ryde and parts of Carlingford (part).
Councillor Laxale is the Labor candidate for Bennelong. Born and raised in the electorate, Mr Laxale has sat on the Ryde City Council since 2012, including serving five years as Mayor.
Record
During his time as the Mayor of Ryde, Mr Laxale has attended events commemorating the Armenian Genocide and actively called on the Australian Government to follow in the footsteps of his municipality, as well as the state parliaments of New South Wales and South Australia in recognising the Armenian Genocide without qualifiers.
Mr Laxale is also a committed advocate for the Republic of Artsakh. He played an integral role in a motion which saw the City of Ryde Council become the first LGA in Australia to recognise the Republic of Artsakh.
Further, Mr Laxale seconded a motion which voted unanimously on a resolution to form an official Friendship City relationship with the capital of the Republic of Artsakh, Stepanakert. Mr Laxale was among the inaugural members of the Australian Friends of Artsakh network, continuing his advocacy for the indigenous Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh.
Commitments
The Labor candidate for Bennelong has committed to continue his long-time advocacy for Federal recognition of the Armenian Genocide and pledged to support the Joint Justice Initiative if elected to represent the electorate of Bennelong.
Mr Laxale, as a member of the Australian Friends of Artsakh network, has committed to continue his advocacy for a free and independent Artsakh in Canberra, in support of the people’s right to self-determination.
He has also committed to support a sustainable Armenia, through membership in the Australia-Armenia Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Union and by partaking in the next Federal delegation to the Republic of Armenia.
Significantly, Mr Laxale has pledged to visit the Republic of Artsakh as part of a future delegation.
Having worked with several Bennelong-based Armenian-Australian community organisations, Mr Laxale has committed to further advancing issues of importance at a local level.
Mr Kennedy is the Liberal candidate for Bennelong. Born and raised in the electorate, he has held positions advising governments to design and deliver policies that helped small businesses succeed and create jobs.
As the Liberal candidate for Bennelong, Mr Kennedy has committed to continuing the exemplary work by his party colleague, former Bennelong MP John Alexander, in advocating on Armenian-Australian issues.
Commitments
Mr Kennedy has committed to vocally advocating for Federal recognition of the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides in Canberra. He has committed to supporting the Joint Justice Initiative and making representations at the highest levels to encourage the Australian Government to take the final step of accurately recognising the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides in the next parliamentary term.
If elected to the 47th Parliament of Australia, Mr Kennedy has committed to joining a long list of prominent Australians who have joined the Australian Friends of Artsakh network and advocating in support of the rights to self-determination of the people of Artsakh.
Mr Kennedy has also pledged to support a sustainable Armenia, through membership in the Australia-Armenia Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Union. He has further committed to participating in future federal led delegation to the Republic of Armenia.
Significantly, Mr Kennedy has pledged to visit the Republic of Artsakh as part of a future delegation.
With the largest Armenian-Australian community living in the Bennelong electorate, Mr Kennedy has also committed to advance the concerns of the local Armenian-Australian community and support the organisations and structures of the community in Bennelong.
The division of Fowler is an electorate in South West Sydney, including Armenian-Australian populated suburbs such as Cabramatta, Cabramatta West, Canley Heights, Chipping Norton, Edensor Park, Fairfield East, Greenfield Park, Liverpool, St Johns Park, Wakeley, and Warwick Farm; as well as parts of Abbotsbury, Bonnyrigg, Bossley Park, Canley Vale, Carramar, Fairfield, Fairfield West, Guildford, Moorebank, Mount Pritchard, Prairiewood, and Yennora.
Retiring Labor MP Chris Hayes has held the safe Labor seat since 2010.
The Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU) met with Senator Kristina Keneally, the outgoing Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate as well as Shadow Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration and Citizenship. Ms Keneally served as the first female Premier of New South Wales from 2009 - 2011.
Record
Since entering the Australian Senate, Keneally has a strong record on raising issues of concern to the Armenian-Australian community.
As a Senator for New South Wales, she has advocated for federal recognition of the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides by the Australian Government on several occasions in the Australian Senate and through her participation in numerous Armenian Genocide commemorative events.
Ms Keneally has affirmed her support for federal recognition of the Armenian Genocide by signing the Joint Justice Initiative’s Affirmation of Support document, which calls for federal recognition of the 1915 Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides by the three descendant communities.
Throughout her time in the Senate, Ms Keneally has also become a strong supporter of the people’s rights to self-determination in Nagorno Karabakh. Ms Keneally has met with two visiting delegations from the Republic of Artsakh, and has expressed her support for the country’s independence and rights to self-determination by joining the Australian Friends of Artsakh network.
Ms Keneally is a recent recipient of the Armenian-Australian Community’s Friend of the Year award.
Commitments
As the Labor candidate for Fowler, Ms Keneally has pledged to continue pursuing federal recognition of the Armenian Genocide in the next parliamentary term. As a senior member of the Australian Labor Party, she has committed to advancing the issue amongst senior members of the party.
In addition, Ms Keneally has pledged to continue her support for the people's right to self-determination of Artsakh through her membership in the Australian Friends of Artsakh network.
Should Ms Keneally be elected as the Federal Member for Fowler, she has affirmed her support for the local Armenian-Australian community of Fowler and throughout Western Sydney, as well as supporting the advancement of bilateral relations between the Commonwealth of Australia and the Republic of Armenia, where she has pledged to visit with a federal delegation.
The electorate of Mackellar is located in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, covering approximately 233 sq.km including Armenian-Australian suburbs such as Narrabeen, Mona Vale, Avalon and Newport. Away from the beaches, Mackellar also includes Frenchs Forest, Belrose, Davidson and parts of Forestville.
The seat is a safe Liberal seat currently held by Mr Jason Falinski.
Mr Jason Falinski is amongst the loudest to voice his support on countless occasions for issues of importance to the Australian-Armenian community, and continues to engage with his advocacy both within and outside Parliament.
Mr Falinski has raised concerns about Australia’s failure to recognise the Armenian Genocide on several occassions. In 2018, he used his speech on a motion honouring the 70th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide, to again call on Australia to join righteous nations with formal recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
Mr Falinski was amongst the first Federal MPs to deliver a speech in the Australian House of Representatives supporting the right to self-determination of the Republic of Artsakh. As a member of the Australia-Armenia Inter-Parliamentary Union, he hosted a number of incoming delegations from the Republic of Artsakh during official delegation, before also becoming a member of the Australian Friends of Artsakh network.
Mr Falinski has also demonstrated extensive support for local Armenian-Australians living in and around the electorate of Mackellar, particularly the community’s largest everyday school, Galstaun College.
He remains committed to supporting the Armenian-Australian community issues of concern if elected to represent the electorate of Mackellar in the 47th Australian parliament.
The electorate of Bradfield is located in Sydney’s upper North Shore. It covers approximately 101sq.km and includes the suburbs of Killara, Lindfield, Gordon, Pymble, Turramurra, Wahroonga, Roseville, Castle Cove and parts of Normanhurst and Hornsby.
The seat is currently held by Liberal MP Paul Fletcher.
Mr Paul Fletcher is the Liberal candidate for the electorate of Bradfield. He has held the seat since winning the December 2009 by-election and is currently Australia’s Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts.
Since entering the Australian Parliament, Mr Fletcher has established a strong relationship with the Armenian-Australian community. He is a member of the Australia-Armenia Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Union and, since his days as a humble backbencher, Mr Fletcher became a fierce advocate for federal recognition of the Armenian Genocide. This advocacy has continued today, even as a senior member of Liberal and National Coalition’s ministry.
Mr Fletcher became the first federal parliamentarian to speak for the rights to self-determination of the Republic of Artsakh in Australia’s House of Representatives in November 2010. Over a decade later his support for Artsakh’s independence continues through his active membership in the Australian Friends of Artsakh network.
Due to his decade-long advocacy and commitment towards Armenian-Australian issues, Mr Fletcher became a distinguished recipient of the Armenian-Australian Community’s Friend of the Year sward, and most recently, he was awarded the Armenian National Committee’s premiere Freedom Award.
Mr Fletcher remains committed to supporting issues of importance to the Armenian-Australian community if elected to represent the people of Bradfield in the 47th Parliament of Australia.
Berowra covers 786 sq.km of the outer suburbs of Sydney’s north shore. It includes the suburbs of Pennant Hills, Cherrybrook, Thornleigh, parts of Carlingford and Hornsby, as well as the communities along the Pacific Highway between Mt Colah and the Hawkesbury River.
The seat is currently held by Liberal Party MP Julian Leeser.
Mr Julian Leeser is the Liberal candidate for the seat of Berowra, and was first elected to Federal Parliament in 2016. He is an active member of the Australia-Armenia Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Union, delivering multiple speeches in the Australian House of Representative calling for federal recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
As a prominent member of the Jewish-Australian community, Mr Leeser strongly believes Australia must stand on the right side of history on this issue. Most recently, he was one of six Australian MPs who spoke on a motion outright calling for federal recognition of the 1915 Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides in November 2021.
Similarly, Mr Leeser is supportive of the people's right to self-determination of the Republic of Artsakh, having met with several parliamentary delegations from the Republic of Artsakh and through his membership of the Australian Friends of Artsakh network.
Mr Leeser remains committed to supporting issues of importance to the Armenian-Australian community if elected to represent the people of Berowra in the 47th Parliament of Australia.
The electorate of Wentworth is based in Sydney's eastern suburbs and is the country's second smallest electorate. It covers 38 square kilometres, including Darling Point, Double Bay, Rose Bay, Vaucluse, Paddington, Centennial Park, Bondi Beach and Bondi Junction.
Dave Sharma MP is the incumbent for the seat of Wentworth, following his victory in the 2019 By-Election defeating high profile independent Dr Kerryn Phelps.
Mr Dave Sharma is the Liberal candidate for the seat of Wentworth. Sharma was elected to the Australian House of Representatives for Wentworth in 2019. He is a well regarded foreign policy expert, having represented Australia as the Commonwealth’s former Ambassador to Israel.
Commitments
Sharma has committed to advocating for federal recognition of the 1915 Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides in the next Parliament, through his support of the Joint Justice Initiative.
Allegra Spender is running as an Independent for the seat of Wentworth. Spender is a local business leader and a renewable energy advocate. Spender’s father and grandfather have both served as Liberal MPs in Australia’s House of Representatives.
Commitments
Spender has pledged to support the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek community’s Joint Justice Initiative in the next parliament, which calls for accurate recognition of the 1915 Genocides by the Australian Government.
The electorate of Goldstein is located in Melbourne's south-east and runs along Port Phillip Bay from Glen Huntly Road in the north to Beaumaris in the south. It includes the bayside suburbs of Brighton, Sandringham, Black Rock and Beaumaris, as well as Highett, Hampton, Bentleigh and parts of Elsternwick, Caulfield, Ormond and Glen Huntly further inland.
Since 2016, the seat of Goldstein has been held by Liberal MP Tim Wilson.
The incumbent MP for the seat of Goldstein, Mr Tim Wilson is the only Federal Australian parliamentarian of Armenian ancestry. Since his election to parliament, Mr Wilson has been a vocal advocate for issues of concern to the Armenian-Australian community.
He has delivered several empowering speeches in the Australian House of Representatives advocating for Federal recognition of the 1915 massacres committed by the Ottoman Empire against the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek peoples as Genocide.
Significantly, in December 2018, Mr Wilson championed a motion honouring the 70th Anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide. In his speech, Mr Wilson called for Australia’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
Mr Wilson was also part of the first Federal-led Australian delegation to visit Armenia in 2019, where he held high-level meetings with Yerevan officials, including the country’s President, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. There, he also met the Republic of Artsakh’s President and Foreign Minister. Mr Wilson also visited the Armenian Genocide memorial in Tsitsernakapert.
Throughout his time in parliament, Mr Wilson has pledged his support for the Republic of Artsakh through his membership in the Australian Friends of Artsakh network. He has also met with visiting democratically elected delegates from the Republic of Artsakh.
Mr Wilson’s ongoing support and advocacy on behalf of the Armenian-Australian community saw him receive the Armenian-Australian Community’s Friend of the Year award in 2019.
Mr Wilson is determined to continue supporting the Armenian-Australian community if elected to represent the electorate of Goldstein in the 47th Parliament of Australia.
The electorate of Deakin covers 85 square kilometres and stretches east-west along the Maroondah Highway and Canterbury Road in Melbourne's outer eastern suburbs. It includes all or parts of Blackburn, Forest Hill, Mitcham, Vermont, Ringwood, Heathmont, Croydon and Bayswater North.
Since 2013 the seat of Deakin has been held by Liberal MP Michael Sukkar, Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Housing and Minister for Homelessness, Social and Community Housing.
The incumbent MP for the seat of Deakin is Michael Sukkar.
Mr Sukkar has continually shown his support for Armenian-Australians and their issues of importance, most significantly calling on Australia to recognise the Armenian Genocide when speaking on a motion commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide in 2018.
Similarly, he was an inaugural member of the Australian Friends of Artsakh network and has since become a prominent voice calling out Azerbaijan’s aggression and defender of the human rights and rights to self-determination of the people of Artsakh.
The electorate of Macnamara covers approximately 40sq.km and includes the suburbs of Port Melbourne, South Melbourne, Middle Park, South Yarra, St Kilda, Balaclava, Elwood and parts of Elsternwick and Caulfield.
The seat has been held by Labor MP Josh Burns since 2019.
Across Australia there are candidates in the upcoming Federal election who are supportive of federal recognition of the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocide.
These include the following candidates:
Labor Candidate for Adelaide - Mr Steve Georganas
Liberal Candidate for Boothby - Dr Rachel Swift
Labor Candidate for Canberra - Alicia Payne
Liberal Candidate for Chisholm - Ms Gladys Liu
Independent Candidate for Clarke - Mr Andrew Wilkie
Labor Candidate for Eden-Monaro - Ms Kristy McBain
Labor Candidate for Greenway - Ms Michelle Rowland
Katter's Australian Party Candidate for Kennedy - Mr Bob Katter
Liberal Candidate for Leichhardt - Mr Warren Entsch
Labor Candidate for Macarthur - Dr Mike Freelander
Labor Candidate for Macquarie - Ms Susan Templeman
Labor Candidate for Makin - Mr Tony Zappia
