La Première ministre de la Nouvelle-Galles du Sud, Gladys Berejiklian,membre du Parti libéral, est revenue sur une partie de son histoire personnelle .
A l'heure du conflit en Syrie, Gladys a révél que plus de 40 personnes de sa mille avaient péri dans le Génocide des Arméniens , ordonné par le gouvernement "Jeune Turc" s'appuyant sur l'Organisation Spéciale (Tehskilat y Mahsusa, en turc) , les nazis de l'Empire Ottoman .
New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian will tonight share personal stories of her family's connection to war-ravaged Syria and the Armenian genocide, as she steps up her campaign to connect to voters in the lead up to next year's state election.
In a speech to the Sydney Institute, Ms Berejiklian, a notoriously private person, will acknowledge that sharing her personal story "is not something that comes easily".
She has been repeatedly urged to open up to the public about childhood and family, and her reluctance to do so has been viewed by some colleagues as a weakness.
In the speech, the Premier — who couldn't speak English until she started school — will say her family's tragic experience "shaped her perspective".
"My family were victims of the Armenian genocide of 1915," Ms Berejiklian will say. "All four of my grandparents were orphaned and witnessed untold atrocities.
"Those who survived, including my grandparents, were forced to leave their homeland and were displaced across the region, eventually settling in the Middle East.
"My father was born in Aleppo, Syria, where we still have family. But suffice to say the safe haven offered by the Middle East was short-lived."
Ms Berejiklian will describe how her parents spoke only Armenian at home in Australia because "they felt a responsibility to preserve their heritage given the atrocities committed against our family and the Armenian people".
The Premier will also share some lighter anecdotes, including the pitfalls of grappling with English idioms after she thought she had mastered the language.
When she was eight or nine years old, a neighbour told her she could come over for a swim "after tea".
"I chimed in and suggested my mother hurry up and put the kettle on so I could rush over to use their pool. Clearly, my Aussie lingo still had a way to go."
Premier reveals why she entered politics
The Premier will also outline what fuelled her political rise in the speech, and how her parents were "obsessed" about her going to university.
"I was obsessed with that too — not to fulfil my parents' ambition, but mine. I knew I wanted to make a difference and make my family's sacrifices worthwhile." ……
sources : ABC news , Adrienne Sagherian,
