Liberal Speaker Bronwyn Bishop has told Australia's human rights chief Gillian Triggs to stand for office if she wants to be a "political participant".
Appearing alongside Ms Triggs on the ABC's Q&A program on Monday night, Ms Bishop suggested the law professor has demonstrated bias against the government during her tenure as president of the Human Rights Commission (HRC).
By allegedly delaying a report into the treatment of child asylum seekers until the Liberals took power, Ms Triggs had "made it very political," she said.
"That has made you a very political figure," she told Ms Triggs across the panel table.
"You have to make the decision: Are you a statutory officer carrying out an obligation with the protection of that office, or do you wish to be a political participant?
"If you do wish to be a political participant, then you have to be no longer a statutory officer and perhaps stand for office."
Ms Triggs brushed off Ms Bishop's criticism, saying it suggested she was doing a good job.
"I am a statutory officer, and that's a position of independence which allows me to speak, based on the evidence and based on the law, as truthfully as I can.
"Were I to receive frequent praise and commendation from the government, I think the Australian people would have a good reason to ask for my resignation," she said to loud applause.
Ms Triggs said the 180 pieces of work published during the previous Labor government indicated the HRC acted as strongly then as it does now.
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