The Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, on the last leg of his 11-day tour of Australia and New Zealand, visited Victoria State Parliament House in Melbourne Wednesday.
In his speech to a group of parliamentarians, the exiled Tibetan leader promoted peace, harmony and secularism and urged Australian lawmakers to visit Tibet.
Victoria State Premier John Brumby was noticeably absent when the Dalai Lama addressed the members of parliament. The Tibetan spiritual leader later told the media he was not fazed by the absence of some politicians, saying his visit is non-political.
While in Melbourne, the Dalai Lama also addressed the closing session of the 2009 Parliament of the World's Religions, attended by representatives of 228 religions.The Dalai Lama's visit to Australia coincides with the 20th anniversary of him being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to peacefully resolve the issue of Chinese-ruled Tibet.