Members of the Armenian National Committee of Australia(ANC-AU) National Office have met with key candidates ahead of the 2023 New South Wales State Elections, which will be held on Saturday, 25th March 2023.
As the peak public affairs body of the Armenian-Australian community, the ANC-AU is conducting these meetings in an effort to advance relationships ahead of the next parliamentary term with the aim of ensuring greater representation of Armenian-Australian issues.
In meetings with candidates, the ANC-AU covered global Armenian issues, including ascertaining support for Federal recognition of the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides, support for the rights to self-determination for the Armenians of the Republic of Artsakh, and the strengthening of bilateral relations between Armenia and New South Wales.
New South Wales is home to the largest Armenian-Australian community, with a large concentration of community organisations and structures, therefore, the meetings were also used as an opportunity to discuss the unique local issues of concern for Armenians in Willoughby, Ryde, the Northern Beaches and Western Sydney.
The ANC-AU has thus far met with over a dozen candidates in the seats of Ryde, Lane Cove, Willoughby, Davidson, Pittwater, Wakehurst, North Shore, Parramatta, Prospect, Riverstone, Winston Hills, Leppington, Cabramatta and Fairfield.
ANC-AU Executive Director Michael Kolokossian said: “This election will see some close friends of the Armenian-Australian community vacate their seats. Therefore it is critical that we continue the strong legacy of support for the NSW Armenian-Australian community by meeting with candidates vying for seats where there is a sizeable Armenian-Australian population and introduce them to our issues.”
“The response from candidates all across New South Wales has been extremely welcoming, with a genuine willingness to engage with our community and the issues of concern to each of us. We thank all the candidates for the opportunity to meet with the ANC-AU during this busy election campaign,” added Kolokossian.
The Armenian National Committee of Australia will release a 2023 New South Wales Election Guide for Armenian-Australians ahead of election day.