Australian politician Dominic Perrottet shamefully admitted he wore a Nazi uniform to his 21st birthday party in a shocking revelation Thursday.
“When I was 21 at my 21st fancy dress party, I wore a Nazi uniform,” Perrottet, a New South Wales premier, announced.
He apologized for his decision to wear the hateful garb nearly two decades ago at a press conference he called after learning at least one cabinet colleague was privy to his regrettable action, The Guardian reported.
“I’m deeply ashamed of what I did and I’m truly sorry for the hurt and the pain that this will cause people right across our state and particularly members of the Jewish community, Holocaust survivors, veterans and their families,” he said.
His revelation to the media comes just three months before the state election — and after rumors of a potentially reputation-damaging photo of the premier floating around. However, Perrottet said his decision to come clean was not due to the threat of a photo from his 21st birthday being released.
The 40-year-old leader said he was naïve at the time and didn’t understand the hurt and pain of what the uniform represented.
“I’m not the person I am today that I was at 21,” he added. “Who I am today is formed by the good things I’ve done in my life, not the mistakes I’ve made.”
He directly apologized to the Jewish community and Holocaust survivors.
The NSW Jewish Board of Deputies said if nothing else, they hoped the premier’s mistake would serve as a lesson to others.
“This incident, no matter how old, is a reminder of the need to continually educate all Australians – and particularly our youth – about the abhorrent nature of the Nazi regime and the evil perpetrated in service of the Nazi ideology,” the board president and chief executive told the Guardian in a statement.
They also said they appreciated Perrottet coming forward with his past mistake and apologizing.