| SENATE President Paul Calvert has defended his refusal to hold a parliamentary reception for the Dalai Lama, saying the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader is not a head of state.
Senator Calvert said it was not appropriate to extend taxpayer-funded parliamentary hospitality to an unelected spiritual leader.
"Someone said to me: 'What would happen if the Pope came here'," Senator Calvert told a Senate estimates committee hearing.
"That's a different story, he's a head of state. But with the Archbishop of Canterbury, of course, it wouldn't count." Senator Paul Calvert Senator Calvert said the decision was his and his alone, and criticised Australian Greens leader Bob Brown for releasing a personal letter about the issue.
Senator Brown had asked Senator Calvert to consider offering the Dalai Lama official hospitality during his visit to Canberra next month. Senator Bob Brown
"Senator Brown has chosen to publish my personal letter to him," Senator Calvert said.
"The only observation I'll make about that is that in my written dealings with him in the future I'll take that into account.
"The decision not to offer Senate-funded hospitality was mine and mine alone."
Senator Calvert said he had no difficulty with the Dalai Lama visiting Parliament House.
But official Senate hospitality was only extended to visiting parliamentarians or groups with which the upper house was formally associated.
"The Dalai Lama is a spiritual leader, he is not a parliamentarian," Senator Calvert said.
"Without at all reflecting on his Holiness, I make the strong point that the Dalai Lama is not a person to whom parliamentary hospitality would be extended by me or my predecessors as president.
"The same principle applies to other distinguished visitors to Australia who might as part of their itineraries happen to visit Parliament House."
He said senators and members were free to host their own receptions for the Dalai Lama inside Parliament House.
"But such an occasion will not be under the auspices of the parliament," he said. | 
