An Australian head of a province has admitted to wearing a Nazi uniform on his 21st birthday, describing it as a “terrible mistake”.
Dominic Perrottet, the premier of Australia’s most populated New South Wales province, revealed on Thursday that he wore the outfit almost two decades ago at his birthday party.
“When I was 21 at my 21st fancy dress party, I wore a Nazi uniform,” Mr Perrottet announced in an emotional press conference.
The admission from Mr Perrottet comes after rumours of the existence of a picture where he is seen wearing the uniform.
He described the incident as a “deeply hurtful” act which had “personally anguished” him for years.
“I’m deeply ashamed of what I did,” he told reporters at a press conference.
“At that age in my life, I just did not understand the gravity of what that uniform meant.”
“I’m truly sorry for the hurt and the pain this will cause... particularly to members of the Jewish community, Holocaust survivors, veterans and their families,” he added.
Mr Perrottet is the leader of the state’s conservative coalition which faces an election in just three months.
The revelation came after Mr Perrottet received a phone call from a cabinet colleague who mentioned it to him two days ago.
He said he did not know if a photo of him wearing the costume existed and whether it has been released to the media, denying that his admission was a face-saving tactic made to pre-empt the release of any such photograph.
“I have grappled with this, it’s something that has personally anguished me,” Mr Perrottet said.
“I needed this truth about this terrible mistake that I made to be told by me, not by someone else.”
He added that he has contemplated speaking out about it several times over the years, adding “it’s been a difficult thing”.
“Maybe I should have,” he said.
“I know how hurtful this is for so many people … it was important that I, as premier of this state, addressed this and apologised for the hurt and the pain that this is going to cause.”
“I’m not the person I am today that I was at 21,” he said. “Who I am today is formed by the good things I’ve done in my life, not the mistakes I’ve made.”
