SYDNEY: In the lead-up to the 109th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, seven Federal Liberal candidates endorsed to run in the next Federal election submitted a joint statement to the Opposition Leader, the Hon. Peter Dutton, calling on him and a future Liberal Government to accurately characterise the events between 1915-1923 as a genocide, reported the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU).
The letter, which was sent to the Opposition Leader on 23 April 2024, was endorsed by the following candidates: Gisele Kapterian - Liberal for North Sydney; Dr Katie Allen - Liberal for Higgins; Tim Wilson - Liberal for Goldstein; Manny Cicchiello - Liberal for Aston; Katie Mullens - Liberal for Parramatta; Scott Young - Liberal for Bennelong; and Theo Zagraphos - Liberal for Chisholm.
ANC-AU Executive Director Michael Kolokossian expressed his gratitude to the candidates for standing with the Armenian-Australian community in pressing our nation’s leaders for accurate recognition of the genocide.
“We are a grassroots family, and we support candidates who are willing to champion our issues,” said Kolokossian.
“Each electorate is home to thousands of Australians with Armenian, Assyrian and Greek ancestry. Parramatta, for example, is home to the fastest growing Armenian community in the country, with 3,000 Armenians and over 3,000 Greeks.”
In 2023, the Liberal Party of Australia also endorsed a party policy on the 1915-1923 Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides. Read more here.
Thousands across the country wait in anticipation to hear whether the Australian Prime Minister and Opposition Leader will finally have the courage to utilise the word "Genocide".
The announcement will be made at the Sydney Armenian Community’s primary event commemorating the 109th Anniversary of the Genocide, taking place on Wednesday, 24 April 2024, at the Chatswood Concourse, commencing at 7:00 pm in the presence of over 1,000 members of the Armenian community.
