CANBERRA: From 12–14 May 2026, representatives of the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU) travelled to Canberra for a series of meetings with federal parliamentarians and key stakeholders, aimed at strengthening awareness and support for Armenian-Australian issues at the national level.
Over three days, ANC-AU representatives held ten meetings within Federal Parliament, engaging with government, opposition and crossbench offices on issues including recognition of the Armenian Genocide, the ongoing consequences of Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of Artsakh, Australia-Armenia relations, and the growing Armenian-Australian community.
Among the delegation’s most significant meetings was a briefing with the office of Mr. Ted O'Brien MP, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and Deputy Leader of the Opposition. Discussions focused on the Armenian Genocide, the humanitarian crisis in Artsakh, and broader regional developments affecting Armenia and the Armenian people. While no formal policy position was outlined during the meeting, the discussion was constructive, with Mr O’Brien’s office expressing openness to continued engagement.
Meetings with newer Members of Parliament, such as Mr. David Moncrieff MP & Ms. Alice Jordan-Baird MP, were particularly encouraging, with many parliamentarians demonstrating genuine interest in learning more about the Armenian-Australian community and the issues affecting Armenians globally. These discussions reinforced the importance of grassroots community engagement and constituency-level advocacy.
The ANC-AU delegation also held productive discussions with longstanding parliamentary supporters, including Mr. Julian Leeser MP, Mr. Tim Wilson MP and Mr. Josh Burns MP, who shared valuable strategic insights into expanding bipartisan support for Armenian-Australian advocacy within Federal Parliament.
As part of the visit, ANC-AU representatives also met with prominent Australian historian, Professor Peter Stanley, to discuss opportunities to further recognise Australia’s historical response to the Armenian Genocide within national institutions such as the Australian War Memorial.
Commenting on the delegation, ANC-AU Political Affairs Director, Sebastian Majarian, said: “The response we received across Parliament was overwhelmingly constructive and encouraging. There is a clear appetite among many parliamentarians to better understand the Armenian-Australian community and Australia’s historical connection to the Armenian Genocide.”
“This delegation has laid a strong foundation for the advocacy work ahead. We thank the parliamentarians who generously gave their time to engage with our community, listen to our concerns, and learn more about the issues important to Armenian-Australians.”
The ANC-AU would like to thank the following Members of Parliament for their engagement over the past week:
- Mr. Ted O'Brien MP - Member for Fairfax, Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs
- The Hon. Milton Dick MP - Member for Oxley and Speaker
- Mr. Tim Wilson MP - Member for Goldstein and Shadow Treasurer
- Mr. Josh Burns MP - Member for Macnamara
- Ms. Alice Jordan-Baird MP - Member for Gorton
- Senator Tyron Whitten - Senator for Western Australia
- Mr. Julian Leeser MP - Member for Berowra
- Mr. David Moncrieff MP - Member for Hughes
- Ms. Nicolette Boele MP - Member for Bradfield
- Mr. Michael Petterssen MLA - Member for Yerrabi & ACT Minister for Multicultural Affairs
