Playing the " Race " Card !

When the political parties began seeking advantage by candidate selection for the 2013 Federal election, the Northern Territory was represented in the Senate by efficient Labor Senator Trish Crossin.   Julia Gillard made a tactical move and replaced Trish Crossin with former Olympian Nova Peris.    It was clear to most observers at the time that Gillard was pandering to the Northern Territory's Indigenous residents - by dumping a white woman and replacing her with a person of Indigenous heritage.

Nova Peris was not even a member of the Labor party.  Gillard claimed the authority for her choice as a " Captains pick " and it was certainly a blow in the face for all those Labor functionaries who slog away cheerfully in the branches in the hope that they may eventually get a chance to run for office. Gaining selection usually means gathering a following and carefully articulating the right policies to fit in with the electoral leaning of both the party and the branch.

Unfortunately Nova Peris did not make much of an impression in her role as a Senator and now - three years later - she has quit and will not seek reelection.   It is rumoured that she will take a position as " Head of Diversity " with the AFL, which is making great strides to attract Indigenous players to the game.   It is clear that whoever has that post will be a person of Aboriginal background -  of necessity.

At the time Julia Gillard intervened in the selection process there was a lot of sympathy for Trish Crossin, who had served her party well and was a popular Senator in the Territory.  The harsh reality of politics clearly placed wining the numbers game well ahead of personal loyalty.

Playing the race card is a dangerous practice and it can have unintended results. The withdrawal of Peris brings into contention the selection of a new nominee for the Senate job.  Some will claim that it should be offered to Trish Crossin - if she is still interested - on the grounds that she was callously cast aside for political advantage.   She has a good track record and a nomination would seem a case of a wrong righted.

Others may contend that the position of Labor Senator for the Northern Territory is now a reserved tenure for a person of Indigenous background because Indigenous population numbers in the Territory far outnumber those of white people.   That is a predictable outcome when the race card is so prominently used to deliver a message.

There is another outcome that may damage the vast improvement in race relations that has taken place in this country.  An old stereotype may emerge that casts our Indigenous people as " unreliable ".    Being a Senator is an elevation on the totem pole of life and yet this Senator has chosen to walk away from it when the going got tough.   Some may insist that Senator Peris went " walkabout "  !

Selecting a nominee for the July election will be a task that creates acrimony - whatever the choice !