Mr SLIPPER (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance and Administration) (4:49 PM) —Every so often in this place one gets the opportunity to rise to one's feet and to talk in a non-political way about matters about which one feels very strongly. I am not a Buddhist, and I suspect that I probably never will become a Buddhist; but, unashamedly, I am a very great admirer of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Recently, I had the opportunity, on a private visit to northern India, to have a private audience with His Holiness for some 20 to 30 minutes. I must say that the visit to Dharamsala was, in a number of respects, quite challenging. There was a 12-hour train trip, followed by the buses taking some five or six hours, after a bus breakdown in Dharamsala, before I arrived in McLeod Ganj. I am particularly impressed with the way His Holiness—who is the 14th Dalai Lama and who was born in 1935—has been able to combine his role as a spiritual leader of the Tibetan people, along with his efforts to preserve Tibetan culture and his efforts in the political arena on behalf of Tibetans—both those living in Tibet and those living outside Tibet.

The current Dalai Lama was recognised as a reincarnation of his predecessor shortly after the 13th Dalai Lama passed away. He was the fourth son of a poor peasant family in Takster village in Amdo province in eastern Tibet. I was privileged also to meet the sister of His Holiness, Jetsun Pema, who was educated in Western society but who, since the 1960s, has returned to northern India where she carries out her work on behalf of Tibetan children, including those who are refugees today from Tibet. She runs schools and a most impressive kindergarten which operates on the Montessori principle. She told me that the Dalai institution was perhaps one of the most democratic institutions in the world insofar as anyone could be discovered to be a reincarnation of a previous Dalai Lama.

At the time I was in Dharamsala and McLeod Ganj, there were thousands of pilgrims from around the world who had gone to listen to the words of the Dalai Lama in his teachings. The Dalai Lama not only carries out his political role, but also spends some six to eight hours per day talking to thousands of people from around the world. When one looks at those people, gathered in the very simple temple at Dharamsala, the crowd is multicultural to say the least. There are living in Dharamsala some 3,000 to 4,000 Buddhist monks and nuns, a number of whom come from Western communities. Many people from around the world go at this time of the year to listen to His Holiness' teachings. I listened to his teachings in Tibetan. I did not understand a word, but somehow, through his aura, the Dalai Lama was able to pass on a very powerful message. Very few people in society have the presence that His Holiness the Dalai Lama does. I think of Nelson Mandela; I think of His Holiness Pope John Paul. There are very few others who seem to have a capacity not to be bitter in any way, to be sincere and to be prepared to look forward. No matter how appalling the treatment dealt to the Tibetan people since the Chinese invasion in 1950, the Dalai Lama always looks forward. He is always trying to win a better deal for Tibetan people while at the same time appreciating the important role of Tibetan teaching and Buddhist theology.

It is a fact of life that, since Australia's recognition of the People's Republic of China in 1972, part of that recognition involved an appreciation or acceptance that Tibet is part of China. But it is clear that the government remains concerned in a continuing way over restrictions on religious freedom, cultural identity and freedom of expression in Tibet. All of us are concerned over the disappearance of the Panchen Lama. There are concerns for his safety. I would hope that the Chinese allow the Panchen Lama—that is, the real Panchen Lama, and not the one created by the Chinese authorities— to return to his monastery so that he is able to perform his role as an important teacher.

There are some 130,000 Tibetan refugees living throughout the world, many of them in India. The Indian government has been extraordinarily hospitable. Dharamsala serves as a capital in exile for those refugees. It is ironic that perhaps the 14th Dalai Lama, the current Dalai Lama, enjoys less political power than any of his predecessors, who did not come to the West, but he is undoubtedly the most influential person to ever hold that high office. His worldwide travels, his eloquent meeting with other religious leaders, his speaking in favour of the principles of ecumenical understanding, kindness, compassion, the environment and world peace mean that the Dalai Lama is someone who will continue to be respected by people from throughout the world regardless of the political views that they espouse.

I was privileged to meet His Holiness when His Holiness was last in Australia. I am very pleased that the Dalai Lama will return to this country in May next year. The Tibetan faith has the Chenrezig Institute based in my electorate of Fisher on the Sunshine Coast hinterland. It is a centre for Buddhist study, meditation and retreat. It is a flourishing community of nuns, monks and lay people. Chenrezig is the name of the Buddha of compassion, who embodies the compassionate wisdom of all the Buddhas. The goal of the Chenrezig Institute—and I have visited it and listened to teachings there—is to benefit as many people as possible, helping them to transform their lives so that they can benefit others and realise ultimate happiness. Their vision is to support the spiritual development of all people in an environment of universal responsibility, wisdom and compassion. They also seek to be a centre for learning, retreat, community and service, following the Mahayana Buddhist tradition. The Chenrezig Institute also runs a hospice for the dying in the Sunshine Coast hinterland; people do not have to be part of the Buddhist faith to be able to access the facilities provided by this very important organisation.

A number of years ago when there was a debate in relation to the Chinese treatment of Tibet, I spoke in the parliament. I do not resile from what I said at that time. It is important to recognise that the Dalai Lama is currently visiting Taiwan. He, of course, is a Nobel Peace Prize winner. A recent newspaper article stated:

The Dalai Lama is someone whom we can all respect greatly. He is a person who has seen the most appalling treatment handed out to Tibetan people since that country's invasion by the People's Republic of China. He is someone who has had the responsibility of leading his people in spirituality and in Buddhist teaching. He is someone who has been responsible for maintaining the political aspirations of Tibetans and at the same time, through the Norbulingka Institute and in other ways, His Holiness has been ensuring that the culture of Tibet is preserved. He is a man among men and is someone all of us can greatly respect. He is someone who looks to world peace and who looks forward, not backwards. He is someone whom we can universally admire and who can be a focus of unity in the parliament. People throughout the world ought to respect the Dalai Lama, who has been prepared to put aside what has happened to his people and look forward and move forward. (Time expired)