Dominic Perrottet said he had grappled with the decision throughout his life. Photo: 2021 Getty Images
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has apologised after revealing he wore a Nazi costume to his 21st birthday party.
Perrottet said he was "deeply ashamed" for wearing the uniform to a fancy dress party, saying it had caused him "much anxiety" through the course of his life.
He told a press conference in Sydney that he decided to come forward after receiving a phone call from a cabinet colleague two days ago.
"When I was 21, at my 21st fancy dress party, I wore a Nazi uniform," he said.
"I'm deeply ashamed of what I did. And I'm truly sorry for the hurt and the pain that it will cause people right across our state.
"Particularly members of the Jewish community, holocaust survivors, veterans and their families. I'm truly sorry for that terrible mistake."
Perrottet said he was "not aware" of any photo depicting him in the uniform, denying the announcement was made to pre-empt any political attacks ahead of the March election.
"I thought this was important, that this is my truth, that I should be the one to explain that to the people of our state, not someone else," he said.
The premier said he was "naive" at the time of the incident and "didn't understand the significance of that decision".
He said the party's theme was "uniforms".
"It was stupid," Perrottet said.
"It was just a terrible mistake where I, 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 country and around the world."
The now 40-year-old was repeatedly asked why it took him almost 20 years to reveal the indiscretion.
He said he had thought of raising it "a number of times" before but "never did".
Perrottet said he acknowledged his "mistake" the day after the party, after his parents told him it was "wrong and insensitive".
"It's been something that I've had to carry with me for my life," he said.
The premier said he had not turned his mind to how the revelations could damage his re-election pitch but said he did not believe it would damage his leadership of the NSW Liberal Party.
He said he was "not the person today that I was when I was 21" and had since become a "very passionate supporter of the Jewish people".
In October, Perrottet called for fans who made Nazi salutes at the Australia Cup final in Western Sydney to be banned for life, saying the gesture has "no place ... anywhere in our state".
Today, he said his costume incident had "driven me to do everything I could to help the Jewish community as a parliamentarian".
In a statement, NSW Jewish Board of Deputies David Ossip and its chief executive Darren Bark said the premier today "personally reached out to the Jewish community" to "express his deep and sincere regret".
"The Premier has been a staunch supporter and friend of the NSW Jewish community throughout his time in public life," they said.
"In particular, as treasurer, he ensured the Sydney Jewish Museum received funding to ensure that it could continue educating the community about the holocaust and the horrors of the Nazi era.
"This incident, no matter how old, is a reminder of the need to continually educate all Australians - and particularly our youth - about the abhorrent nature of the Nazi regime and the evil perpetrated in service of the Nazi ideology."
Perrottet said he would also be meeting with leaders from RSL NSW this afternoon.
NSW Treasurer Matt Kean, who is also the NSW Liberal's Deputy Leader, said the partyroom would stand by Perrottet in light of his admission and apology.
"The Premier has just admitted that he made a terrible mistake a long time ago," Kean said.
"He's apologised to community leaders, he's apologised to the Jewish community, and he's apologised to the people of NSW."
Federal Labor MP for Macarthur, Mike Freelander, who is Jewish, said Perrottet was entitled to forgiveness.
"It's really good he's apologised, young people do stupid things," Freelander told the ABC.
"There is a lot of concern about the rise of anti-Semitism in the far right.
"His apology to me sounded very sincere and he's entitled to forgiveness."
- ABC