MELBOURNE: In a statement released on November 7th, 2024, the Federal Liberal Member for Deakin, the Hon. Michael Sukkar, called upon Members of the Victorian Parliament to support a motion recognising the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides, perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire between 1915 - 1923, reported the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU).
This was not Sukkar’s first display of support for the issue, having called for Federal recognition of the Armenian Genocide in the Australian Federal Parliament’s Federation Chamber to mark the 70th Anniversary on the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
The former government minister, who is also a member of the Armenian National Committee of Australia’s Friends of Artsakh (FOA) network, told the parliament: “It is my view Victoria must honestly recognise the victims of the Ottoman Empire, and honour all those who stood against these horrific events.”
Sukkar went further by calling on his own party members to take immediate action to prosecute this issue. He said: “If the current Victorian Parliament does not take action, I encourage my state parliamentary colleagues in the Victorian Liberal Party to put forward the motion now, and, if it does not pass, to commit to enacting this recognition under a future Coalition State Government.”
According to an article published by the Australian, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has unilaterally decided that her party would oppose such a motion, ignoring the strong support for the issue amongst her state Labor colleagues. The Victorian Liberals are yet to formally declare a position.
In light of Mr Sukkar’s statement, the Armenian National Committee of Australia has joined the Australian Hellenic Council - Victoria in expressing their gratitude and appreciation for Sukkar’s unyielding support on this issue.
