CANBERRA: Tim Wilson MP has used a debate in the House of Representatives to call out the importance of Australia fulfilling its responsibility as a signatory to the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide, stating "it becomes difficult to do so when we're unable to acknowledge the original sin that led to the defining of the term" in reference to the Armenian Genocide.

The Member for Goldstein introduced the motion marking the 70th Anniversary of the UN Genocide Convention, and it was unanimously debated in favour of by all seven speakers in the Australian Parliament's Federation Chamber.

The motion recognised Australian involvement in the adoption and ratification of the Convention, it honoured Dr. Raphael Lemkin stating he "coined the word 'genocide', informed by his study of the systematic extermination of the Armenians during World War I and the Jews during World War II, and it called for "eternal vigilance of all countries, including Australia, to acknowledge past genocides as essential to stopping future genocides".

"Our collective responsibility, as members of a community of nations and as a state beholden to the genocide convention that we honour today, is to prevent, to call out and to punish the perpetrators of genocide where it occurs in the world," Wilson said. "But it becomes difficult to do so when we're unable to acknowledge the original sin that led to the defining of the term."



Wilson, who is of Armenian ancestry, said: "... as the only member of this house of Armenian descent, I remain fundamentally disappointed that our national parliament doesn't fully acknowledge the horror and tragedy of the genocide against the Armenians. I would hope that we would acknowledge the genocide against all people where they occur."

The man who was once Australia's Human Rights Commissioner added: "It's silence that condemns those who lost their lives through an action by those who know to do better. It's silence that leaves people in pain. It's silence that ensures that that there is no proper redress for crimes committed in the past. The motion today is about calling out that silence in this parliament, across everybody, to make sure that these crimes never happen again."

"Healing is enlivened when you cauterise a wound, because you clean it and you recognise that the damage that has been done is a pathway to healing. Acknowledging and honouring those who lost their lives and making sure that those who committed the crime are held to account and no longer feel that they can get away with it without proper critique, criticism and condemnation from the international community are critical to stopping future genocides."

Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU) Executive Director, Haig Kayserian thanked Wilson for his leadership in championing the motion and using the opportunity to call for Federal recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

"Mr. Wilson's leadership on this issue is because of his Armenian ancestry, but it is also because of so much more," commented Kayserian. "Mr. Wilson is a champion for human rights and freedoms, and he and his colleagues from both sides of the chamber came together on Monday to remember Lemkin, to remember [Australian then-President of UN General Assembly] Doc Evatt and call for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide."

Read and watch all speeches during the debate by clicking here.