Prime Minister Kevin Rudd backs Nova Peris as the Australian Labor Party's candidate for the Senate in the Northern Territory after local officials approached Rudd and told him the indigenous Olympian can unite the party.

Rudd consulted with Northern Territory Labor President Matthew Gardiner last Tuesday in Darwin regarding former prime minister Julia Gillard's decision to support Peris as the top candidate for the Labor party in the region. NT Labor secretary Kent Rowe also joined the discussion. Gillard dumped incumbent Senator Trish Crossin over Nova Peris who has aboriginal heritage.

Rudd said the Australian Labor Party members in the Northern Territory want him to support Peris despite the difficulties that have happened as part of the national intervention in the pre-selection of candidates.

Last Monday, Rudd spoke to Senator Crossin whom he praised as a "wonderful representative of the territory" and an "excellent Senator". Rudd added that Crossin has been his friend for 15 years.

The decision of the Labor party members proved to be difficult for Crossin as well as the rest of the party but Rudd says Labor has to look forward to the future. Supporting Gillard-backed Peris as senator would bring a tight race in the Northern Territory.

Former and first female prime minister of Australia Julia Gillard announced last January that she was making Nova Peris as her top choice in the Northern Territory Labor Senate. Her decision was later endorsed by the national executive of the party. If Nova Peris is successful, she will become the first indigenous MP in the federal government.

Senator Crossin cried foul when she was removed in her valedictory speech last month in Parliament. She acknowledges Australia needs indigenous representation but she believes it must be done with a plan and strategy.

Senator Crossin says that just because one person says Nova Peris should be in the Senate doesn't make her removal from the Labor party ticket as democratic. She apparently refers to Julia Gillard's endorsement of Peris in her speech.

After Crossin's exit speech, Labor senators Doug Cameron and Kim Carr also openly criticised former prime minister Gillard in Parliament. They expressed their disgust over the way Crossin was treated.

Senator Cameron says Gillard's action was "abominable". Crossin should have been treated with common decency and dignity because she has made a contribution to Parliament.

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