The Speaker of the House, the Hon Tony Smith MP with members of the delegation from Timor-Leste

In February, the Australian Parliament welcomed a delegation comprising six parliamentarians from Timor-Leste.

The delegation consisted of senior members of parliament from varying backgrounds and was led by the Vice President of the People’s Liberation Party and First Vice-President of the National Parliament, Ms Maria Angelina Lopes Sarmento.

During their day at Parliament House, the Timor-Leste delegation participated in a program that highlighted how the work of Australian parliamentarians is supported by the library, research officers and Hansard. They also met with the Hon Tony Smith MP, Speaker of the House of Representatives (pictured above), and attended a lunch hosted by Mr Russell Broadbent MP, Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties.

The parliamentarians, representing several political parties, were sponsored to visit Australia as part of a new Indo-Pacific Leaders Program funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.