NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet apologises for wearing a Nazi uniform to his 21st birthday

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has apologised for wearing a Nazi uniform to his 21st birthday party. 

During a special press conference on Thursday, Mr Perrottet, 40, said he was ‘naive’ and regretted the decision to wear the costume in September 2003. 

‘At that age in my life I just did not understand the gravity and the hurt of what that uniform means to people, not just in our state … but around the world.

‘I’m deeply ashamed of what I did and I’m truly sorry for the hurt and the pain this will cause for people right across our state, and in particularly, members of the Jewish community, Holocaust survivors, veterans and their families.

During a special press conference on Thursday, Mr Perrottet, 40, said he was ‘naive’ and regretted the decision to wear the costume in September 2003

‘I am truly sorry … I am not the person I was when I was 21.’

Mr Perrottet said he’d received a call from a colleague asking about the costume two days ago and said while they had not threatened to out him, he wanted ‘the people of NSW to hear it from me’.

Read Related Also: Ghislaine Maxwell ‘launching $10m appeal against 20-year sex trafficking sentence’

When asked why he didn’t come clean about the costume earlier, Mr Perrottet conceded ‘maybe I should have’.

‘There have been times throughout many years where I’ve thought of speaking about it,’ he said.

‘It’s been a difficult thing and the longer I’ve gone on in life, the more I’ve felt the pain of that.’ 

Mr Perrottet said he had spoken to Jewish community leaders before Thursday’s press conference. 

The premier added he wasn’t aware of any photos circulating of the costume, adding the theme was ‘uniforms’.

‘It was a terrible mistake,’ he said. 

More to come