Leaders poles apart over Dalai Lama

MICHAEL BRADLEY/ stuff.co.nz

FRIENDLY CHAT: The Dalai Lama chats to opposition leader Phil Goff after arriving in New Zealand with a flurry of diplomatic protocol hanging over him.

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The Dalai Lama met with opposition leader Phil Goff after arriving in New Zealand with a flurry of diplomatic protocol hanging over him.

They met yesterday in the $3500-a-night Royal Suite of Auckland's Langham Hotel. A Tibetan flag flew briefly on the poles outside.

But it was quickly taken down, with Langham duty manager Jabez Lobo saying hotel policy was that non-New Zealand flags should fly only on official Government-hosted visits. He did not know how it had come to be hoisted in the first place.

Thuten Kesang, chairman of the Friends of Tibet organisation, supplied the flag and was unhappy it was pulled down.

"His holiness is the head of the Tibetan people and I think it's important that we show some respect by flying the flag.

"I can't see any reason why we couldn't fly the flag. It's not harming anybody and this is a free country."

Mr Goff said he knew nothing of the flag furore. He was meeting the Tibetan spiritual leader because "he is a well-travelled, well-informed person and I respect his opinions."

Prime Minister John Key refused to meet the Dalai Lama. He denied China had put pressure on him but admitted its disapproval was a factor.

Mr Goff said that, if he was prime minister, he would still meet the Dalai Lama.

"I met with him when I was foreign minister, I don't see any difference whether I'm a member of the executive or a leader of the Opposition. I'm meeting with him in his capacity as a spiritual and cultural leader and as a very nice person."

The opening line of the conversation was the weather – it was raining. "Actually, I love this kind of weather," said the Dalai Lama, saying it was good for farmers.

From there the two moved on to global warming and into private discussions.

"Last time I met with his holiness we talked about all of the problems of the world; it was a very wide ranging discussion," Mr Goff said.

- © Fairfax NZ News