I know my country: Nova Peris

23 Jan 2013, 4:00 pm   -   Source: AAP, SBS.
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Amid the furore over Julia Gillard's 'captain's pick' Labor candidate Nova Peris speaks to NITV news about her pre-selection, her Indigenous roots and her passion for remote communities.

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There's been uproar following Prime Minister Julia Gillard's endorsement of Indigenous former athlete Nova Peris for the Northern Territory's number one Senate ticket spot in the federal election.

Ms Gillard exercised what she called a captain's pick to override the preselection processes for Northern Territory Labor and to recruit Ms Peris.
 
But Ms Peris has told NITV she is ready for the job.

The Prime Minister says she felt it was important for federal Labor to embrace an Indigenous woman of what she called incredible merit.

NITV news spoke to Nova Peris about how she felt - about Ms Gillard's move, and the subsequent fallout. Peris said the news was sinking in, but that she was ready for it.

'It's something that I haven't just thought about overnight. I thought about it a decade ago.'

'I know my connections back to country.'

Ms Peris said there were still indigenous people suffering in remote communities and it was her aim to work for them via the Labor party.

'I've always been a long time Labor voter...I believe in their policies.'

The PM dismissed claims she dumped NT senator Trish Crossin because she was a Kevin Rudd supporter, in order to recruit indigenous athlete Peris to the Labor fold.

The decision sidelines Senator Crossin who has served in parliament for 15 years.

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

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott welcomed more indigenous people in national politics but said Ms Gillard had shown poor judgment.

"I don't want to pretend to be an expert on the rather murky machinations of the Labor Party but I guess we've seen the prime minister involved in a political hit on Kevin Rudd, a political hit on Harry Jenkins, the former speaker, and now this political hit on Trish Crossin," Mr Abbott told Macquarie Radio.

Nova Peris

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Your Comments

By Association

Teddy - from Parramatta, 4 months ago

Such a pity that Julia Gillard is now ruining Nova by association, when you have behaved as badly as this government all that you touch is tainted. Similar to the Rock star convert, who could believe anything Garrett says, he spent years singing protest about things he now votes for.

Gillard always knows best!!!!

Adam - from VIC, 4 months ago

Agree John and Michael. While Peris may actually be the best candidate (from what I have seen she actually is), it worries me that a democratic process has simply been bypassed on a whim by Gillard. The outcome will probably be positive, but come on....we ALL know why she did it, as with all things she does....for personal gain. Calling it a "Captain's pick" speaks a lot more to her frame of mind than people think.

No say

joe - from SA, 4 months ago

I have figured it out. Why don’t we all just spit in the face of every Territorian, and take away their right to choose or have any input to what they want!

tainted by association.

Graeme Henderson - from Tara, 4 months ago

Ms Peris is being suckered here. While from Gillards perspective Ms Peris makes Gillard look better, Ms Peris should consider that it does not work both ways and her association with Gillard who has a history of dubious political morality can only make Ms Peris look worse. Gillard is a political parasite, using whoever is convenient. Ms Peris is effectively sabotaging her political future by starting it in such a typically Julia underhanded way. What a pity.

And Then

And Then - from N.T, 4 months ago

Okay so Nova has been endorsed. I don’t know how many people feel about this, tho I do know that this is a joke. As she said “they don’t know me”, that’s right we don’t know you! What have you done for the rural people in the N.T (where it counts).This is all a bid to get people in rural area’s to vote her. Let’s not forget the only reason why this is happening, people in the rural areas of the N.T told labour what they can do with it in last year’s election, and that was to get lost.

Good for her

Kim C - from Brisbane, 4 months ago

Go for it Nova Peris, smart move by Gillard sports star and indigenous being a woman is a bonus. smart and tough enough to be our first honest labour member that keeps them honest! Couldn't hurt sound to me, like a real Aussie steps up again and they"re knocked, she kept her head in sport with all the other pressures now she is brave enough to take on politics. I give her a go I would vote for them because of her and I am not indigenous and have not voted labour in a long time. lol

Buying votes

John - from Valentine, 4 months ago

Julia Gillard obviously wants to buy aboriginal votes. Shouldn't that be the best person for the job not the best person who can get more votes???

The death of the Meritocracy

Michael - from Canberra, 4 months ago

Meritocracy is the system where people are selected on basis of intellectual criteria and experience. Democracy as we all know is the system where people are awarded positions of power or promotion based on some system on popular/majority vote. I am not from the Left side of politics however, I find the idea that someone should be promoted on behalf of the labor party into the Australian Senate based on the colour of their skin and their ethnicity highly offensive.

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