Dominic Perrottet, an Australian politician, dressed up in Nazi uniform for his 21st birthday party.

One of Australia's top lawmakers has apologized for wearing a Nazi costume to his 21st birthday celebration.

Dominic Perrottet, the premier of New South Wales (NSW), reported the incident on Thursday, two days after a colleague addressed it confidentially with him.

He described it as a bad error made while he was young and inexperienced.

Mr. Perrottet, the leader of the state's conservative coalition, is up for re-election in two months.

"I'm terribly ashamed of what I did," he said at a tearful press conference.

"At that point in my life, I really didn't comprehend the significance of the uniform."

"I'm deeply sorry for the anguish and pain this will cause... especially for members of the Jewish community, Holocaust survivors, veterans, and their families," he continued.

The incident happened in 2003, two years before Prince Harry was seen wearing a Nazi outfit and wearing a swastika armband.

Mr. Perrottet stated that he did not know if a photograph of him in the costume existed and that his admission was intended to pre-empt the release of any such photograph.

He stated that he had personally apologized to Jewish leaders in NSW.

Mr. Perrottet expressed "deep and heartfelt contrition" for his actions nearly 20 years ago, according to the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies.

"This episode, no matter how old, serves as a reminder of the need to consistently educate all Australians - particularly our kids - about the repulsive character of the Nazi dictatorship," president David Ossip and CEO Darren Bark stated.

Mr. Perrottet took over as premier of Australia's most populous state in 2021 after his predecessor resigned amid a corruption investigation.

He will face a difficult battle to win the state election in March. The Liberal-National coalition has been in office for 12 years, but senior colleagues are leaving in droves, and the government has been chastised for neglecting to promote more women.