Canberra: The annual two-day Tibet Lobby Day, organized by the Australia Tibet Council (ATC), was held on 1–2 September 2025. Parliamentarian Tenzin Phuntsok Doring participated in the lobby alongside ATC’s Executive Officer Dr. Zoe Bedford, ATC staff Sonam Tsering and Geraldine Nordfeldt, as well as 15 delegates from Tibetan communities across Australia. Parliamentarian Doring led one of the lobby groups during the event.
The program began at 8:00 AM on the first day, when two representatives of the lobby team briefed the media at Parliament House on the critical situation inside Tibet. This was followed by the Co-Chairs of the Australian All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet (AAPGT), who provided an overview of the Tibetan cause and responded to media questions.
On the second day, the delegation held meetings with around 30 Members of Parliament from the House of Representatives, highlighting that the Gaden Phodrang holds the sole authority to recognize the reincarnation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, as declared by His Holiness himself. The delegates also emphasized the urgent need to resolve the Sino-Tibetan conflict by bringing China to the negotiating table with the representatives of His Holiness, and raised concerns regarding Chinese transnational repression.
The group led by Parliamentarian Doring met with Senator Bridget McKenzie, Senator Richard Colbeck, Jason Sandorp (Chief of Staff to Senator Paul Scarr), MP Renee Coffey, Senator Nick McKim, Dr. Sophie Scamps (MP), and Senator Andrew McLachlan. The other four lobby groups held meetings with MP Alison Penfold, MP Mary Aldred, MP Alicia Payne, Senator Dean Smith, Senator Barbara Pocock, MP David Moncrieff, MP Tim Wilson, Senator Dorinda Cox, Senator Deb O’Neil, Senator Steph Hodgins-May, Senator David Smith, Senator Pete Whish-Wilson, Senator David Pocock, Senator Raff Ciccone, Senator Penny Allman-Payne, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, MP Andrew Wallace, and MP Susan Templeman.
Through these meetings, the delegation was able to engage with several members of the AAPGT as well as newly elected federal members, many of whom showed keen interest in the Sino-Tibetan issue and raised questions during discussions.
As a result of the lobbying efforts, MPs and Senators including Susan Templeman, Dean Smith, Nick McKim, and Steph Hodgins-May raised Tibet-related issues in parliament and made strong appeals reflecting the key points highlighted during the lobby days.
Currently, the Co-Chairs of the Australian All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet are MP Susan Templeman, Senator Dean Smith, and Senator David Pocock.
In connection with the lobby, on the afternoon of the second day Parliamentarian Tenzin Phuntsok Doring, at the invitation of Falun Dafa, participated in a freedom advocacy gathering outside Parliament. There, he delivered a speech on Tibet and addressed questions from journalists covering the event.