Two prominent Labor senators have launched bitter public attacks over Prime Minister Julia Gillard's treatment of veteran Senator Trish Crossin.

Senator Crossin delivered an emotional valedictory speech in the Upper House yesterday, slamming the preselection process that saw Nova Peris given top spot on the NT Senate ticket and calling for the ALP to engage with Indigenous party members.

Senator Crossin, who in 1998 became the first Territory woman voted into Parliament, was informed by Ms Gillard in January that she would not have her backing for the top of Labor's Northern Territory Senate ticket.

Ms Gillard said that she would instead use a "captain's pick" to parachute Ms Peris - the first Indigenous Australian to win Olympic gold - into the position.

Ms Peris was not a member of the Labor Party when Ms Gillard made the announcement, but later joined and secured preselection.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Listen Duration: 3 minutes 44 seconds 3 m 44 s Senator Crossin lashes ALP pre-selection ( Peter Lloyd ) Download 1.7 MB

Senator Crossin, a passionate advocate for Indigenous issues, said Parliament needs more female and Indigenous representatives, but the Prime Minister's "preselection intervention" should have been a last resort.

She said there are numerous Indigenous members of the Labor Party who were denied an opportunity to vie for the role.

"Do we need more women in Parliament? Well of course we do. But not at the expense of each other. And do we need Indigenous representation? Most certainly, but not in a vacuum without a plan or without a strategy," she said.

"Just because one person says it must be so doesn't make it right or democratic.

"The review of the 2010 federal election recommended that intervention in party preselection by the national executive should only occur as a last resort rather than as a first resort, and only then in exceptional circumstances.

"There are many wonderful Indigenous members of the party in the Northern Territory who have now been denied the chance to replace me. This is grossly unfair, it's undemocratic and it is not the Labor way."

Prominent senators attack Gillard's treatment of Crossin

Sorry, this video has expired Labor stalwarts attack PM over Senate ticket 'captain's pick' ( Lauren Day )

Labor senators Kim Carr and Doug Cameron both used the occasion to criticise Ms Gillard's handling of the issue.

"While I wish Trish's successor every success, as I do every single endorsed candidate across this Commonwealth, I still maintain - Trish you were treated unjustly," Senator Carr said.

Senator Cameron said he was "appalled" at the treatment Senator Crossin had received.

CLP Senator Scullion, who was in the chamber to hear the speech, suggested that if Kevin Rudd returned to the Labor leadership, he should reinstate Senator Crossin to the top of the Senate ticket.

"I'm not sure about the machinations of the next week and again, I don't want to pour any porridge on your day - don't mention the war - but Kevin if you're listening, mate, and you are going to do something, there is still time to undo a great wrong," he said.

Call for 'active' Indigenous Labor network

Senator Crossin also used her speech to call on the Labor executive to ensure Indigenous Australians continue to rise to prominence.

She said the Labor Party lacked an "effective and active" Indigenous Labor network, and that systemic change needed to be driven at a national level.

She also called on the Northern Territory branch to be given a place in Labor's national executive.

"We need to see that engagement through fair, democratic processes," she said.

"The party must learn from this and must look to the future and engage with Indigenous members of the party seriously and genuinely to make systemic changes.

"To those members of the national executive and those who are sitting right now in this chamber, I hope you have thought long and hard about what the party will now do in the future to make sure that this is not unique, that this is just not a one-off pick."

NT intervention Crossin's darkest day in Senate

Senator Crossin ended her speech by calling for a review of the Land Rights Act, saying Indigenous affairs should not be treated "from a welfare point of view".

She said her "darkest day" in the Senate was when the Northern Territory intervention was announced.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 5 minutes 28 seconds 5 m Lateline reports on Tuesday's valedictory speeches

"To move into people's lives and communities in this way left me speechless and helpless," she said.

"These people that I have lived and worked with were humiliated and shamed, left to wonder why and how it had come to this.

"And then when we got government they lobbied me continually to make the changes faster than we did, to recognise that support and assistance rather than intervention [were] needed."

Hawke rejects Beattie's call to step in

Leadership tensions have continued to haunt Labor in the final fortnight of this Parliament, with one poll suggesting Labor's position would be improved if Mr Rudd was reinstalled as prime minister.

But Mr Hawke says it is not his place to broker an end to the stalemate.

"I appreciate Peter Beattie's confidence, but I do not see it as my role to intervene," Mr Hawke said in a statement.

"The leadership is a matter for the Caucus to decide what is in the best interest of the party and the nation."