Australian Federal Liberal Party Takes Historic Stand, Adopts Armenian Genocide Policy

The organisational wing of the Liberal Party of Australia has officially embraced a new party policy that condemns the genocide of Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks. This move, reported by the Armenian National Committee of Australia, shows a major step toward the official recognition of these genocides by the Commonwealth Government.

The motion, spearheaded by Mr. Dimitry Chugg-Palmer, President of the Young Liberal Movement of Australia, gained momentum at the 2023 Federal Council, the organizational wing's highest forum for debating federal policies. While time constraints led to the motion's referral to the Liberal Party's Advisory Committee on Federal Policy in 2023, an overwhelming majority of attendees voted in favor, signaling a united stance on condemning historical atrocities.

Michael Kolokossian, Executive Director of ANC-AU, expressed gratitude to Mr. Chugg-Palmer for his steadfast support in advancing the interests of Armenian-Australians. He emphasized the significance of this move, stating, "This is a mammoth step for recognition of the Armenian Genocide in Australia." Although the Federal Council's views are not binding on the party's parliamentary wing, it sends a clear message to elected Liberal parliamentarians that the organization's extensive membership believes the party should stand on the right side of history and officially recognize the Armenian Genocide.

With this decision, the Liberal Federal Council aligns itself with various state parliaments, including New South Wales (1997), South Australia (2009), Tasmania (2023), the Australian Greens, and several other state and territory Labor and Liberal Party branches that have already formalized policies on the Armenian Genocide. This historic move reinforces Australia's commitment to acknowledging and condemning past injustices, standing in solidarity with affected communities.