The Hon Michael Danby MP is the federal Member of Parliament for Melbourne Ports in the Australian House of Representatives, representing the Australian Labor Party (ALP). He is a 6-term member, having been elected in 1998 and re-elected in 2001, 2004, 2007, 2010 and 2013. Since his election, his main areas of interest have been foreign affairs, defence and national security, immigration, electoral matters, human rights and the environment. Michael is known for speaking out on international human rights issues. He meets frequently with representatives of the Tibetan exile community and led the first ever Australian Parliamentary group to Dharamsala in Northern India to meet with the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration (often referred to as the Tibetan Government in Exile). Michael also has close links with the Uyghur community, having helped organise the visit of the Uyghur leader Rebiya Kadeer to Australia for the Melbourne International Film Festival in August 2009. Michael also has a keen interest in human rights issues in Africa: he has links with the Australian Darfuri community and was the official Australian representative to the independence celebration of South Sudan. He also takes a keen interest in Middle East Affairs and supports Australia’s (bipartisan) position of support for a two state-solution to the Israel/Palestine conflict. Michael is also a member of the Steering Committee of the World Movement for Democracy. In the Parliament of Australia, Michael is currently the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Arts, Deputy Chair of the House Standing Committee on Procedure and a member of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. He is also a Member of the ALP Caucus Social Policy Committee and Secretary of the ALP Caucus National Security and Trade Committee. From 2008 to 2010, he was Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Migration; and from 2011 to 2013, he was Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. From 2008 to 2013, he was Chair of the Parliamentary Friendship Group for the United States, and he is a Co-Chair of the Parliamentary Group for Tibet. He has also been a secretary of the Australia–Israel Parliamentary Friendship Group and a Chair of the Australia–Poland Parliamentary Friendship Group. Michael also served as Opposition Whip from 2001 to 2007 and as Parliamentary Secretary for the Arts from March 2013 until September 2013. In the latter capacity, he worked on the repatriation of indigenous remains to Australia and helped progress the proposal for a national keeping place for indigenous remains. .