Whispering campaign has always followed Nova Peris Senator Nova Peris waves to relatives and friends in the gallery as she delivers her maiden speech in the Senate Chamber of Parliament House in Canberra tonight. Picture: Ray Strange Source: News Limited Nova Peris said emails relating to an alleged extra marital affair were released by an 'aggrieved person'. SHE walked into the room. All eyes were peeled on her. The white ochre face paint, from a blessing she had just received, and the golden outfit which featured dancing brolgas. It drew all eyes in the chamber to her. She was different. A breath of fresh air. It had been a torrid sitting of the senate on Wednesday, November 13 last year. Not a day that would make you proud of our senators. Then she walked in. Nova Peris. Senator Nova Peris to be exact. It was time to give her maiden speech. This was no career politician. A raw soul who wanted to make a difference and was proud of her culture. Senator Nova Peris gets the blessing of traditional Larakia, Northern Territory, owner Eric Fejo and on behalf of all Top End indigenous people before her maiden speech in the Senate chamber. Senator Peris with children Jack and Destiny after receiving the blessing. Ms Peris was Australia's first indigenous gold medallist when she was part of the Hockeyroos in the 1996 Atlanta Games. Two years later she would win another gold, this time at the Commonwealth Games as a runner. Behind the scenes she started charities. All her work impressed then prime minister Julia Gillard so much she made her a "captain's pick" to be parachuted into the senate, ahead of veteran Trish Crossin. It began the divides. Nova Peris, with teammate Rechelle Hawkes, wins hockey gold at the Atlanta Olympics. Picture: Trent Parke Source: News Corp Australia And so it was, Ms Peris became the first female indigenous member of parliament. But amidst the aura of Ms Peris, there were whispers. The whispering game had been going for a long time. In the Northern Territory there are those who love Ms Peris. It's fair to say they are the majority. And there are those with a disdain for the Olympian. Understanding why some dislike Ms Peris makes the events of this week easier to understand. Their whispering started as soon as she was preselected. Ms Peris had left her job with the Department of Education in the Northern Territory under a cloud, they said. There were allegations she had misused funds which were vigorously denied by Ms Peris. Last month Ms Peris attracted headlines for allegedly verbally abusing officials at a school athletics carnival. It was alleged that she failed to register her son on time for a track event and abused volunteer officials who told her it was too late to enter. Peris at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur. Then her son was put in a lane that Ms Peris did not like. "Like any parent I want the best for my children when they compete, and of course, I'm a passionate mother," she said at the time. I'm both shocked and surprised to hear that my comments may have caused offence. However, if any offence was caused, I apologise. The incident made the whispers grow louder. There is a view held by some in the NT that there are two sides to Nova Peris. Now Ms Peris faces another battle, this time there is a paper trail. News Corp this week obtained sexually explicit emails allegedly between Ms Peris and Olympic runner Ato Boldon. The pair used to be training partners and friends. The emails appear to show Ms Peris was trying to use her position to convince Athletics Australia to fund Boldon's trip to Australia in 2010. Questions over misuse of taxpayer funds: Peris with Ato Boldonin 2010. Questions were raised about whether she wanted to misuse taxpayer funds for her own benefit. "Ato...tell me babe...what u want ... Make a bit of money and spend time together ... I will take time off from work to be with u," Ms Peris allegedly wrote in the emails. ..."You should be compensated for your long haul travels across the pacific ... sexually of course... but only .. a tired traveller should kick back for a few days," it was not in the budget to bring any profile athletes out but...I am goin through the indigenous grants mob....they can do was I have suggested...but I am not sure what they can do ... In the emails Ms Peris also describes Cathy Freeman as "dumb" and declares white people hate black people. But Athletics Australia and the Australian Sports Commission both indicated they would not pursue the issue. Peris used parliamentary privilige this week to air her view that the damaging emails surfaced because she was blackmailed over a child-access dispute. In the senate this week, under Parliamentary privilege, Ms Peris gave her views on why the emails surfaced. She claimed she has been blackmailed as a result of a child access dispute. Ms Peris has two children to former husband Daniel Batman. Ms Peris says the pair were separated when the emails were sent in 2010. Batman died in a Canberra car accident in 2012. "On October 19 2012, the aggrieved party in the financial estate and child access dispute involving me and my children emailed and revealed he had in his possession a folder of information pertaining to Mr Boldon's visit to Australia,"" she told the senate. I did not realise at the time he was referring to these emails. Nova Peris with former husband Daniel Batman. "On March 21 this year, a representative of that aggrieved party emailed me and said that unless his wishes were granted she would take such action, and I quote: "will only result in causing major trauma for everyone, especially the children and damage the reputation of some stakeholders." The matter has been referred to the Federal Police. Despite the controversy, the whispering campaigns and the content of those emails, Ms Peris retains the support of her party. Several House of Representative front benchers, including Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen and Shadow Education Minister Kate Ellis, went to the senate to support Ms Peris during her statement. As Ms Peris put it this week: "There are three things guaranteed in life. We will all die at some stage; each day the sun will set; it will rise again tomorrow. Today is just one of those days. Originally published as It's not over for Nova