Crossin to seek preselection despite odds

Labor MPs have described the dumping of Northern Territory Senator Trish Crossin as "brutal". Source: AAP

LABOR senator Trish Crossin will fight for her seat despite the prime minister's "captain's pick" of Olympian Nova Peris unanimously receiving the national executive's stamp of approval.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Wednesday defended her endorsement of Ms Peris for the number one Senate ticket spot in the Northern Territory, as the Labor incumbent Senator Crossin vowed to fight for her job, arguing the NT branch should have been consulted.

Senator Crossin told reporters in Melbourne she thinks Ms Peris' name should be put to a rank-and-file ballot, along with anyone else who may nominate in the coming days.

However Labor's national executive unanimously accepted Ms Peris as a member and will consider her, Senator Crossin and other nominees for preselection, before making a decision next week.

Aboriginal sovereignty campaigner Michael Anderson condemned the choice of Ms Peris, Australia's first Aboriginal Olympic gold medallist, who could also become the first indigenous woman in federal parliament.

"Ms Nova Peris has not been involved in major political processes, rallies or otherwise," the founder of the tent embassy in Canberra said on Wednesday.

"I do not have confidence in her ability to stand up for and fight the hard fight that is coming our way.

"Ms Peris is only being used as a public relations exercise for Labor."

However fellow Aboriginal Olympic gold medallist Cathy Freeman tweeted: "Nova Peris - what a great ambassador she would be for all Australians, Indigenous people, women and NT."

Ms Gillard said it was time Labor had an indigenous person in federal parliament, stating she knew the decision would be "controversial".

However her pick also dashes the hopes of former NT education minister Marion Scrymgour, who was Australia's first indigenous female minister, and had put up her hand to run against Ms Crossin.

Ms Scrymgour believes her views on the federal government's intervention in Aboriginal communities had counted against her.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said he welcomed more indigenous people in national politics but questioned the sidelining of Senator Crossin and Ms Scrymgour, who "may well have been able to win a preselection legitimately".

Former Democrats NSW senator Aden Ridgeway, who was the only indigenous representative in federal parliament during the rise of One Nation, supported Ms Peris's tilt at politics but warned she would carry a heavy load.

"Being preselected in a mainstream political party will mean she will have to toe the party line on policy," Mr Ridgeway told ABC radio.

Labor left co-convenor Senator Doug Cameron described the move against Senator Crossin as "a night of the long knives".

However Ms Peris said the prime minister "handled it the way that she saw".

"If you look at the Northern Territory, Labor lost its last election ... there was lack of representation from Aboriginal women in the NT," she told the Seven Network.

Former ALP national president and Aboriginal leader Warren Mundine, who quit the party out of frustration last year, said he was glad Ms Gillard had intervened.

"You can't go on continuing to say you are the champion of the indigenous people when you don't have an indigenous person sitting next to you in the parliament," he said.

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