Peter Slipper (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last night I was privileged to be one of the co-hosts of a reception organised for His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the part of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet. The honourable member for Melbourne Ports opposite is the chairman, I am the deputy chairman and other members include Senator Bob Brown from the Greens and Senator Natasha Stott Despoja from the Australian Democrats. I personally believe the Dalai Lama is one of the greatest living individuals on our earth today and I always feel enormously privileged to be in his presence.

I was impressed that some 60 members and senators from all political parties and including some Independents turned up at the reception. Many were also privileged to have their photograph taken with His Holiness. A number of years ago I, at my own expense, travelled to Dharamsala in India, where I was privileged to have a private audience with His Holiness for some 30 to 40 minutes. I was also able to sit in on His Holiness’s teachings in Tibetan. I found them to be inspirational, even though I personally do not understand one word of Tibetan. Yesterday, he gave us an overview of the Tibetan situation. He spoke about the importance of the Tibetan culture and language. He spoke about the environment. He talked about happiness. He answered questions from honourable members and senators who were present. All of us felt that we were somehow blessed by being once again in his presence.

Over the last few decades, His Holiness has had to put up with things that none of us would want to have to put up with. He is one of those people who, like Nelson Mandela, seem to have suffered enormously but never seem to have any bitterness. He is never twisted. He is always optimistic, sunny and open. He is always a role model for all of us. The Dalai Lama is greatly respected right across the political, religious and community spectrums in Australia. He is enormously unifying and a person we can all look up to. In my own area, the Chenrezig Tibetan Buddhist monastery runs a Cittamani hospice for palliative care. They assist people in their dying days.

It is my regret that the parliament is sitting today and I am not able to be at the Australia Zoo on the Sunshine Coast, where His Holiness will be meeting Mrs Terri Irwin and her family. The Dalai Lama had planned to visit Mr Steve Irwin before his untimely passing last year and I am very pleased that the visit to the Sunshine Coast is progressing. The Dalai Lama stands head and shoulders above just about anyone else I know. I greatly admire him. I know that my admiration for His Holiness is shared by other honourable members and senators—and, indeed, by the community at large.