PM confirms no meeting with Dalai Lama

SYDNEY (AAP) - June 13 - Prime Minister Julia Gillard has finally confirmed she will not meet with the Dalai Lama when he visits Canberra on Tuesday.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott confirmed last week he would meet with the Tibetan spiritual leader but Ms Gillard declined to publicly reveal her plans until Monday.
"The prime minister will not meet with the Dalai Lama on this visit to Australia," a spokesman told AAP.
"Australian prime ministers have not met the Dalai Lama on every occasion he has visited Australia.
"Given the frequency of his travel to Australia, the government believes the current arrangements are appropriate."
The spokesman said a member of the government would meet privately with the 75-year-old Buddhist.
The Dalai Lama will also meet with Greens Leader Bob Brown, who says he is looking forward to the visit.
"Too often politics is a spiritually dead zone," Senator Brown said.
"It needs a good dose of long-sighted compassion and who better than Tibet's Nobel peace prize winner to provide it."
Senator Brown said he had been working hard to urge Mr Gillard to meet His Holiness.
"There will be a great feeling of pleasure around Australia if she takes ten minutes off to do just that," he said.
"If it is good enough to meet the overseas boss of Xstrata, it is good enough for our prime minister to meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama."
Members of Ms Gillard's own government and pro-Tibetan activists also urged Ms Gillard to meet the Dalai Lama but to avail.