Several Indigenous members of the ALP in the Northern Territory have nominated for pre-selection ballot in protest against the Prime Minister's intervention to pick Nova Peris for the top spot on the Senate ticket.

With Julia Gillard's backing, Nova Peris is assured of winning tomorrow's selection process.



Des Rogers, an Indigenous member of the ALP in the Northern Territory, still wants to register his discontent with the decision to parachute in a candidate who was not a member of the party.



"I think she's obviously an outstanding Indigenous woman," he said.



"What I'm protesting on is the process."



He says he's appalled by Julia Gillard's decision to override the Northern Territory Labor Party and take the decision on Senate pre-selection out of its hands.



"That's why I've nominated," he said.



"Just to let people know in Canberra that for one, there is one Indigenous person in the Territory that's been a long term Labor member, has campaign experience, and I've nominated."



Former Territory Labor minister Karl Hampton also plans to lodge his nomination before tonight's deadline.



"I think it's important that the national executive know that there are fully qualified and skilled and dedicated, loyal Labor members who are Aboriginal in the Northern Territory and should be given a chance as well," he said.



The Prime Minister's endorsement of Nova Peris puts the sitting Senator Trish Crossin out of a job.



She'll run against Nova Peris in tomorrow's vote of the national executive.



So too will Marion Scrymgour, an Indigenous former Labor deputy chief minister.



She says had nominated for pre-selection before the Prime Minister's intervention.



"A message needs to be given loud and clear to the national executive but also to Julia Gillard that she can't at whim choose to change processes under the ALP," she said.



Nova Peris is on her way to becoming Labor's first Indigenous member at a federal level.



Over the weekend on National Indigenous television Nova Peris defended her decision to accept the Prime Minister's request.



"I'm at no fault with regard to the whole process of this," she said.



"But you know this is an opportunity that I'm prepared to take, you know."



She says she is looking forward to the future, despite the increasingly nasty fallout from the pre-selection dredging up her past.



"It's not every day you get a tap on the shoulder from the Prime Minister saying, you know, will you serve Australia, will you serve the Territory, will you serve your people?" she said.



On NITV she defended her character and hit back at her critics who question if she's qualified for the job.



"I've been chosen not on my athletic ability but as a woman who's been able to get the job done," she said.



"And you know, I'm passionate about my people, I'm passionate about being an Australian and a Territorian.



"Give me a chance and let's look at, you know, where we are in about four, five years' time."