In the interests of what might be called

" indigenous feminism" our Prime Minister announced that she had nominated Nova Peris, a former Olympian and now principal of an indigenous girls' school in the Northern Territory, as a Senate candidate in the forthcoming election.
 In doing so she has by passed the normal selection procedures and ignored the hard work and undoubted popularity of another female Senator - Trish Crossin. who currently represents the Northern Territory. Trish Crossin also heads an indigenous study group and a feminist group but she is known as supporter of the previous Prime Minister rather than the present one.
The PM's decision is arrogant and autocratic - if not downright dicatorial.
It is not the first such decision she has made and it is clear from the announcement and the fall out that it is not a popular one.
She made a similar decision when she pulled the now Foreign Minister, Bob Carr - former unpopular Premier of New South Wales - out of retirement and bypassed Warren Mundine for the last Senate vacancy. It was not a popular decision with the electorate - especially in New South Wales - or with her colleagues. Cabinet members knew better than to argue though - if they wanted to keep their own positions.
It will be the same this time.
We have had a number of high profile candidates running for election - and sometimes getting in. They have not necessarily been a success.
Peter Garrett of Midnight Oil made it in. Has he been a success? Not really. He has managed to do the job up to a point but people know him because of his association with Midnight Oil rather than because of what he has done as Senator.
Then there was Maxine  McKew - well known as a journalist for the ABC. She took on John Howard and wrested the seat from him - but only just. She lost it at the next election and rightly so. She may have been a competent journalist but she was not a good politician. Politics does not work the same way as journalism.
And there was an unsuccessful candidate in the seat I live in. Nicole Cornes is the wife of a high profile former footballer. The party was hoping that would tip her over the line, especially as our current member is not one of the front bench. He is not a "big" name in parliament. He is considered "lazy" by some although he does actually put in long hours and works hard on committees and in his electorate. He is also available.
The ALP will put up a strong candidate against him this time. They believe they can win the seat. The polls show the gap has narrowed to a point where the government may well win again.
But Nova Peris, however well meaning, should perhaps learn something about politics before she is put forward as a candidate by the Prime Minister. She may find it is not to her liking.