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The New South Wales Liberal Party leadership has been thrown into chaos. Pictured: Dominic Perrottet
The New South Wales Liberal Party leadership was thrown into chaos two months before the election after Dominic Perrottet admitted he wore a Nazi uniform for his 21st birthday.
The prime minister’s shocking confession about the ugly secret came after a conversation with disgruntled Transport Minister David Elliott days earlier, following weeks of tense relations over gambling reforms and a variety of other topics.
Tensions are understood to have reached boiling point between the couple after the prime minister failed to secure Elliot’s shortlisting for his preferred seat following the abolition of his constituency in Baulkham Hills.
The bitter consequences led Elliot to announce his retirement from politics in October. He will serve until the NSW state election on March 25.
liberal sources said the aussie Elliott was not behind the rumors about the Nazi uniform, but told Perrottet about it to “protect” him.
But others within the embattled party called the move an “internal hit job” to damage the prime minister and destabilize his leadership.
A source told the Sydney Morning Herald “The worst was yet to come” as fears mount that swastika-laden party photos have been circulating among political elites for some time.
Perrottet’s shocking confession about the ugly secret came after a conversation with disgruntled Transport Minister David Elliott (pictured together) days earlier, following weeks of strained relations over gambling reforms and a variety of other topics.
Shortly after his emotional news conference on Thursday, in which Perrottet apologized for the “terrible mistake”, he visited the Sydney Jewish Museum to meet with leaders.
The now 40-year-old also spoke to Jewish leaders earlier in the day.
“I have expressed to them how painful I know this must be for the community… and I will do everything I can to make it good for the Jewish community and all the communities in New South Wales that will be affected by what I did,” he said. . it said 2GB.
After leaving the museum where he apologized again, he renewed his vow to use his position to make sure others don’t repeat his mistake.
“I will continue to do my best to ensure that people across Australia understand the horrors of the past,” the Prime Minister said.
New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet and his wife Helen with four of their six children
The NSW Board of Jewish Deputies said it hoped the incident would “serve as a lesson” and a reminder of the “abhorrent nature of the Nazi regime”.
“We are grateful that the Prime Minister personally reached out to the Jewish community this afternoon to express his deep and heartfelt regret for his poor choice of wardrobe as a young man,” the statement read.
“The Prime Minister has been a staunch supporter and friend of the NSW Jewish community throughout his time in public life. In particular, as treasurer, he ensured that the Sydney Jewish Museum received funding to ensure that he could continue to educate the community about the Holocaust and the horrors of the Nazi era.
“The Prime Minister has recognized this, acknowledging that wearing the costume was offensive and will distress many in our community.”
The prime minister revealed that he had worn the black Nazi uniform with a swastika at the party in 2003 after a colleague pointed out the problem to him earlier this week after rumors circulated about a compromising photograph.
“It was a terrible mistake, I was naive and didn’t understand the whole situation and the impact my actions would have and more importantly the damage this would cause throughout our state,” he told reporters.
Perrottet (pictured on his wedding day to wife Helen) said he had spoken with Jewish community leaders before Thursday’s news conference.
He said he has tried to make up for that mistake.
‘My experience in life, I have become a very passionate supporter of the Jewish people. I have understood it first hand and have had experiences through the people I have spoken to,’ he said.
‘Who I am today is shaped by the good things I’ve done in my life, not the mistakes I’ve made.’
When asked during the radio interview if he had been asked to reveal the truth after learning about the rumors, Perrottet did not deny that this was the case.
‘In a way, that’s probably a fair comment, but… I’ve dealt with (it) for some time and there were several times during my political career where I thought I’d bring it up.
Shortly after making the shocking announcement, Perrottet arrived at the Sydney Jewish Museum to meet with the leaders.
“There were certain times, certain events where I thought about bringing it up, and I didn’t and I should have.
‘But today I did and if [a photo] exists or not, what I know is that I did it.
Former Labor Prime Minister Bob Car criticized the Prime Minister’s actions.
“I learned that Nazis were genocidal racists throughout history at a state high school, books from a mobile library, and productions like Rise and Fall,” he shared on Twitter.
‘With a private school and loads of privileges, how did young Perrottet miss it? Verdict: now he is ineligible.