[Greens-Media] Hanson-Young: Labor, Liberal block Dalai Lama from Senate floor

[Clark, Gemma (Sen S. Hanson-Young)]

Thursday 20 August 2009

Labor, Liberal block Dalai Lama from Senate floor

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young says the Greens are disappointed that
the Senate has refused to invite His Holiness the Dalai Lama onto the
Senate floor during his scheduled Australian visit later this year.

This morning Senators Hanson-Young and Xenophon jointly moved a motion
calling on the Senate to invite the spiritual and political leader to
sit in the distinguished visitors' gallery. Both senators are members of
the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet, and enjoyed an audience
with His Holiness on a delegation to Dharamsala, India, last month.

"The Senate this morning stopped the Australian Parliament from joining
other legislatures around the world in extending this rightful
invitation to His Holiness," said Senator Hanson-Young, Greens
spokesperson for Human Rights.

Senator Hanson-Young said the fact that there was no existing precedent
for a person of the Dalai Lama's standing to sit in the distinguished
visitors' gallery did not mean that a precedent of this nature could not
be set for the future.

"The Senate is empowered to set its own precedents, and this morning
missed an opportunity to do so," she said.

"Other nations have recognised the value in hosting the Dalai Lama on
the floors of their parliaments - His Holiness addressed a joint sitting
of the United States' Congress in 1991, and the European Parliament in
2001 and 2008.

"The Greens will continue to call for the Australian Government to
properly recognise the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, as the Tibetan
people continue in their struggle for genuine autonomy." 

The motion, negatived 6 ayes - 36 noes, read:

That the Senate

(a)	Notes that His Holiness, the Dalai Lama:
i)	is a Nobel Peace Prize laureate;
ii)	addressed a joint sitting of the United States Congress in 1991
and received a US Congressional Gold Medal in 2007;
iii)	addressed the European Parliament in 2001 and 2008; and
iv)	has been made an honorary citizen of Canada;

(b)	Extends an invitation to His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, to sit in
the distinguished visitors gallery on the floor of the Senate during
Question Time, on the last sitting day of 2009, Thursday November 26.

Media contact: Gemma Clark on 0427 604 760