CANBERRA: Susan Templeman MP is now among a growing list of Federal legislators signing their support for the Joint Justice Initiative, and in doing so, pledging to promote Australia’s recognition of the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides of 1915.

The February 2020 launch of the Joint Justice Initiative at Australia's Parliament House featured the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding by the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU), Assyrian Universal Alliance (AUA) and Australian Hellenic Council (AHC), which declares Australia's recognition of the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides as a priority on behalf of their communities.

A journalist by training, Templeman has served as the member for Macquarie since 2016 and currently serves as the Deputy Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on the National Broadband Network.

Her steadfast support for issues of human rights has manifested with her affirmation in solidarity with the calls for justice for the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides through recognition by Australia’s parliament and government.

Haig Kayserian, Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU), thanked Templeman for joining dozens of her colleagues as part of the Joint Justice Initiative.

“Federal recognition of the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides must be an inevitability with Ms. Susan Templeman added to the list of many principled parliamentarians we’ve elected to parliament,” Kayserian said.

“Not recognising this injustice suffered by the ancestors of so many within our communities is simply swimming against the current of public opinion, as well as against truth and justice.”

“We thank Ms. Templeman for her principled support,” Kayserian added.

The Joint Justice Initiative has so far announced the support of Templeman, Adam Bandt MP, Tim Wilson MP, Senator Janet Rice, Steve Georganas MP, Michael Sukkar MP, Senator Louise Pratt, Warren Entsch, Joel Fitzgibbon MP, Andrew Wilkie MP, Julian Leeser MP, Michelle Rowland MP, Senator Paul Scarr, Tony Zappia MP, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Senator Hollie Hughes, Senator Rex Patrick, Mike Freelander MP, Senator Eric Abetz, Senator Larissa Waters, Senator Pat Dodson, Jason Falinski MP, Josh Burns MP, John Alexander MP, Senator Andrew Bragg and Bob Katter MP with a promise of more announcements to come.

On 25th February 2020, over 100 Federal Australian parliamentarians, diplomats, departmental officials, political staffers, academics, media and community leaders were treated to cultural performances, food, wine and brandy, as well as the historic signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, which affirmed that the signatory public affairs representatives of the three communities were jointly committed to seeing Australia recognise the Turkish-committed Genocides against the Armenian, Greek and Assyrian citizens of the Ottoman Empire during World War I.