Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Hansard source

Melissa has spent her entire career, from her time as a sole solicitor in charge of a regional community legal centre and her work with the UN in some of the most difficult places on earth to her time as a parliamentarian, standing up for human rights and for the most vulnerable in our community. Melissa co-founded the UN Parliamentary Group with Queensland Liberal Senator Russell Trood, with whom she became good friends. Melissa was the co-recipient of the Alan Missen award for parliamentary integrity in 2013, together with Liberal MP Judy Moylan, with whom Melissa also enjoys a close friendship. Melissa is today an esteemed member of the UN group of eminent experts on Yemen, which is investigating violations of human rights by all parties to the war in Yemen. She and her colleagues recently briefed the UN Security Council about the human rights situation in Yemen. So, if you are going to accuse someone like this of not telling the truth, you had better have your facts straight.

Senator Scarr interjecting—